Fairy Tale
by Rainbowmnms
Summary: When a young-and very adorable-boy shows up at Fairy Tail, he immediately becomes attached to a certain celestial wizard. A strong bond forms between them, but what will happen when Val's secret is revealed? Is Val already connected to the guild? Why can he see Mavis without a guild mark? Follow Val and his new friends as they go on a quest to discover his past and save a friend.
1. Losing A Friend and Finding A Friend

_~Val~_

In my very first memory I was running. I don't remember what I was running from…just that I was scared. Whoever or _whatever _was chasing me must have been chasing me for a while, because I was out of breath and tired. I flew from tree branch to tree branch, my energy slowly draining. I was alone and they were after me. Somehow, I escaped.

Since then, though, I've made a friend. His name is Otto, but I like to call him O. I met him in the forest a long time ago…I'm not sure how long ago it was. He's my best friend and we talk a lot. Well, he doesn't _really _talk, but I can tell what he's saying most of the time. He's a flying squirrel. We met one day in the forest where I'd been living. He's a worrywart.

"Val, we should go back to the tree. It's getting dark," said O. He sniffing at an acorn that he'd picked up, but dropped it when he looked up at me.

"I don't want to go back yet," I replied, standing up. O flitted up to my shoulder and perched there.

"You know how dangerous this forest can be at night. You don't want to meet the _shadows _do you?"

I shivered and then shook of my fear, "No! The shadows don't actually exist! They're not real! You just tell me about them to scare me."

"That's not true. I've seen them. They're looking for something. It was a long time ago, but they've been here. I've seen them _twice_!"

"You're lying," I said indignantly, crossing my arms.

"Nuh-uh," replied O, shaking his head. I nodded. He shook his head. We went on like that until I was so dizzy that I almost fell over. I stubbed my toe on a rock and yelped.

"Please, Val? I want to go home," he said, begging me now.

I shook my head, my long, rose-colored hair falling over my eyes. I brushed it away, "You can go home if you want, but I'm staying here. I've got adventures to go on!" I took a few steps forward and then noticed something unusual. I sensed small vibrations coming from the earth underneath my bare toes. I sniffed the air curiously.

"Val, we need to go!" said O, his voice urgent and desperate.

"What is that?" I questioned, turning towards where a rumbling sound was coming. I cocked my head and squinted my eyes. That's when the darkness came into my vision. A wall of black bore down on me. I tensed up and launched myself into the air, dodging trees as I flew in the other direction.

"Val! Faster!" shouted O. He was flying alongside me now, his voice terrified, "It's the shadows!"

I pushed myself harder, but didn't see the edge of the forest getting any closer. I glanced over my shoulder and saw the darkness closing in on me. Terror gripped my heart. Finally—and just in time—I spotted the edge of the forest. A bright light lit up the trees ahead of us. I shot out of the darkness and soared up into the open air. I'd been in the forest my whole life, so I wasn't familiar with the brilliant sunset that lay out before me. I thought I was safe, but it wasn't over.

Dark shadows twisted up into the air, hissing and lunging for me. I managed to dodge just in time. "Keep going, Val!" yelled O, leading the way. I followed after him, tears leaking from my eyes. My vision was blurry as the wind ruffled my hair.

"Come back, Val," hissed the shadows, stretching out each syllable and terrifying me even more. I didn't listen to them. Instead, I flew as fast as I could. Soon, a town came into view…at least I thought it was a town. I'd never seen one before. I'd only heard about them from O. I recognized the buildings that he described and the people. They were everywhere, crowding the streets.

I lowered my altitude, plunging towards the streets. It was just like O had told me. I had to weave my way through people. I almost smashed into a man who was holding a cake. He yelled and probably would have waved his fist in anger if his hands weren't occupied with cake.

"This way, Val!" O screamed. I didn't question him. He'd been to this town before. He'd know where it was safe. One of the shadows got dangerously close to me before I turned a corner and it slammed into the wall behind me. It hissed and immediately started after me again.

"In here!" O shouted. He was hovering by a large door. It was a huge, colorful building. There were letters above the door, but I couldn't read them. I'd never learnt to read. I shot towards the door and slammed it open. I flew through the air and slammed into a wall. O landed beside me. One of the shadows wrapped itself around my leg and started pulling me back. I yelled out in pain, a sharp, stinging sensation biting at my shin.

I thought for sure that I was a goner and that the shadow would capture me, but a brilliant light lit up my vision. Warmth enveloped me as the reds and oranges painted my sight. It took me a minute to figure out that the lights were flames. I felt the pain in my leg fade away as the shadow disintegrated. A man stood over me. He stared at me. I was breathing hard and shaking. He leaned down over me and looked like he was about to say something before another shadow shot around him. It grabbed O and pulled away immediately. I yelled out, reaching for my friend.

"VAL!" O screamed. He tried to break free, but the shadow had a hold of him. Tears streamed down my face as my friend was pulled away from me. I flew into the air again, chasing after the shadow. I was too late. It was too far away. A dark hole appeared in the sky and the shadow disappeared into it, O still in its grasp. I felt my strength leave me all at once. _My only friend is gone_.

I plummeted from the sky, my loose hair streaming around me. I felt something slam against me and then warm arms wrap around me.

"Hey, kid!" shouted a voice. My eyes stayed closed. "Kid!" the voice said again.

"Don't yell at the child!" scolded anther voice, a woman's.

"He's pretty small, isn't he? I wonder how he got mixed up with whatever those things were," a new voice added.

"Is he dead?" asked the first voice. It was a man's voice. I cracked my eyes open and saw the man smile. He had bright pink hair just like me. He was the man who had killed the shadow. "He's awake!" shouted the man. I flinched and squirmed out of his arms. I fell to the ground and tried to run away. Pain erupted in my shin where the shadow had taken hold of me and I stumbled. I fell on my face, but kept trying to get away. These were people! I had no idea what they were like. They could try and eat me just like the shadows ate O.

I collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down my face. I curled up into a ball and hid my face. I heard a flurry of footsteps and then peeked through a crack between my fingers. A large crowd had gathered around me. I squeezed my eyes shut, loneliness and fear dominating me. I heard people talking and whispering to each other.

"Who is he?" asked a man's voice.

"Poor thing," said a woman's. I heard a new set of footsteps as someone walked towards me. I was shaking violently, shock now being the primary emotion I felt.

"Wait, Natsu! Can't you see that he's scared of us?" asked a voice. My ears perked up.

"Why is he scared of us? We just saved his life," said the man.

"Hush, Natsu," said the stern woman's voice.

"I've got an idea," said the gentle voice. Something about it appealed to me. It drew me in. I opened my eyes to see whose it was. I saw a girl standing over me. She was smiling at me, a soft smile. Her golden hair fell down over her chest. She rummaged for something at her waist. She chanted some words and I flinched, squeezing my eyes shut. Suddenly I felt warm. I opened my eyes again slowly.

I was sitting inside of a small room. It was wooden, just like the tree that I called my home. I felt my nerves ease. It was like I was home again. I pressed my hands against the clear wall that was in front of me.

"Is that better?" asked the girl, kneeling beside me. I nodded shyly.

"My name is Lucy. You're safe now," she said, smiling at me again. She seemed nice. I'd never met a person before. Maybe they weren't as bad as I thought they were. "If you don't mind me asking, what's your name?" I stared at her for a few moments, leaning forward.

"V-Val…" I whimpered. "Val, he says timidly," repeated a voice. It came from all around me and I shrunk back. I pressed my back against the wall again, shrinking into the darkness of the room.

"Don't be scared. That was just my friend, Horologeum," she said, her eyes worried. I calmed down a bit.

"Do you think you could come out of there? I want to see what you look like clearly," she said. I hesitated, but then inched forwards. I pressed my palm against the clear wall in front of me and pushed lightly. The wall squeaked open. I felt the cold air rush in and I flinched. I slowly stepped out of the room. I felt the cold stone underneath my feet.

She smiled at me, "You're pretty cute, aren't you?"

"N-No! I'm not cute! I'm tough!" I insisted, doing my best to look tough.

She laughed. "Can I ask you something, Val? Was that your friend that was taken back there?"

My chin quivered and I nodded, shifting from foot to foot. I tried to keep up my 'tough' appearance, but it broke. Tears slid down my face.

"He was my only friend! Now the shadows have him! I'm going to rescue him…I promise! I-I…" my voice cracked and I choked on my tears. Lucy's eyes filled with empathy. She reached forward and pulled me close to her. I let her. Her arms were warm and comforting. I'd never felt another person's arms.

"We'll help you get him back. I swear that we will," she whispered to me. She stood up, still holding me tight. I clutched her shirt and buried my face in her soft chest. She kissed my forehead. She turned back to the other people that were watching.

"I'm going to help him," she said, "And you are too."

"Are you sure that's a good ide—" started the pink-haired guy.

"Yes," Lucy replied immediately. I sunk farther into her warmth.

"Of course we'll help," said the woman with red hair. She smiled slightly at me. I wiped the tears from my face and then wrapped my arms around Lucy.

"I don't see what the harm could be," said the man who wasn't wearing clothes. It didn't seem strange to me, even though all of the others were wearing brightly colored clothing.

"Val, do you want to meet my friends?" Lucy asked. I shook my head and clutched her tighter. She smiled, "It's ok, they're nice." Slowly, I nodded.

"This is Natsu," she said, pointing to pink-hair. I stared at him.

He grinned, "Sorry for scaring you back there. I didn't mean to."

"I wasn't scared!" I said, louder than I'd intended.

"Of course you weren't! A man doesn't frighten so easily!" said the woman. "My name is Erza. It's nice to meet you. You're very brave for facing those shadows all alone."

I smiled at that and nodded. She was nicer than she looked. I wondered what the shiny things she was wearing were.

"I'm Gray, but you can call me older brother," said the naked one.

I frowned, "No thanks."

He mocked shock and then faked crying, "How could you?"

I laughed, "Your friend is a baby, Lucy!"

She smiled and hugged me tighter, "Yeah, I know." I reached up and rapped my arms around her neck. I buried my face in her hair.

"Lucy, will you be my friend?" I whispered.

"Of course I will," she replied, stroking my back softly.

I felt my eyes slide shut, "Good…because I don't want to be alone…"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Next chapter coming soon! Please leave a review if you liked it. (Yes, more adorable Val moments shall come)**

**There are still so many questions unanswered. Who is Val? Why doesn't he remember anything? What is his secret? You'll find out soon..._if _you read the next chapter when it comes out. Look forward to it! :)**


	2. T-T-Tail?

_~Lucy~_

I hate mornings. They're the worst. This particular morning, however, wasn't so bad. When I finally cracked my eyes open, fighting against the sleepiness, I saw Val. He was curled up in the crook of my arm, his tiny arms wrapped around me. His eyes were shut tight and he was making small mumbling sounds.

I wanted to stay like that for a long time, but I knew I couldn't. We had to get to the guild, so staying in my apartment all morning wasn't an option. I gently shook my arm to try and wake Val up, "Val." He sighed deeply, but didn't move.

"Val, we have to get back to the guild soon," I whispered to him. A thought occurred to me, "If you don't wake up now I'll kiss you."

His eyes slowly opened and then he whispered back, "I don't really mind."

I laughed, "You're so adorable."

"I'm also sleepy," he replied.

"It makes sense that you're tired after everything that's happened to you. Tell you what, if we get to the guild soon we can have a delicious breakfast that Mira will cook for us," I said, tapping his nose. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. He nodded and then stood up on my bed. He stretched his arms above his head and then let them drop to his sides. His eyes drooped and he started to fall over again. I quickly caught him and swept him into my arms.

"Don't pass out on me now, buddy," I said, standing up, "I need to get changed. Do you have any other clothes?"

"I've only worn these my entire life," he mumbled as I set him down on the bed. His eyes closed but he stayed sitting up. I quickly got changed, not really worried that I was changed in front of a little kid.

"We'll have to get you some," I said, yanking my hoodie over my head. I combed my hair quickly and then kneeled beside my bed, "You ready to go?"

He nodded without opening his eyes and slumped against my shoulder, wrapping his arms around my neck. I smiled and picked him up off of the bed. He was pretty light, but part of that had to do with his size. I grabbed my celestial keys on the way on and hooked them onto my belt. I shut the door behind me and turned to leave.

"Oh, my!" squealed a voice. I'd almost bumped directly into the landlady.

"I'm sorry!" I said immediately. Val didn't pick his head up off of my shoulder.

My landlady stared at me for a few seconds and then stared at Val. Her eyes flicked back up towards me, "Since when did you have a child?"

"Oh, he's not mine!" I said immediately, my face flushing.

"Yes, I am!" Val insisted, tightening his grip around my neck.

"Well…is he or isn't he?" she demanded. She leaned forward expectantly.

"Uh…" I started. Val wasn't _really _my kid, but I didn't want to explain that to her or to him.

"Never mind. It doesn't matter," said the landlady, stalking off. I headed down the stairs, glad that she hadn't pressed me any further for answers. Once outside I shut the door with my foot, not willing to take my arms off of Val.

"Lucy, I know you're not my real mom…" said Val, hiding his face from me.

"W-What?" I asked, shocked at his sudden confession.

"I…I've never had a mom, though, so I've never known what it's like," he said, still not looking at me. I kissed his cheek and his head snapped towards me, his eyes wide. He clapped a hand to where I'd kissed him.

"I promise that I won't leave you ever," I said, smiling at him.

I wasn't ready for what he did next. He leaned forward slightly and planted a kiss on my cheek, returning the favor. When he pulled away his cheeks were bright pink, "I won't leave you, either. I promise!" He stuck out his pinky and I hooked mine around it, supporting him with one arm.

"We'll be the best of friends, alright?" I asked, heading towards the guild.

"Alright," he replied. He was smiling bashfully. He seemed pretty awake now, so I asked, "Do you feel like walking on your own?"

"I don't walk that often, actually," he said, squiggling out of my arms. I freaked out when he broke free from my grasp because I thought he was about to fall on his head. Instead, he floated up gently into the air. He did a few 360's and then drifted down beside me. I was staring at him, "You can fly?"

He nodded, "For as long as I can remember!"

"We'll talk more about this when we get to the guild. You may be very special, Val," I said, starting to walk again. It took me a moment to shake off the amazement. _Val can fly?_

* * *

><p>"Lucy, wait!" Val whined. He'd been stopping every five feet to stare at things. Apparently he'd never seen a dog before. He was fascinated by it until it started barking. He'd yelped and slammed into my chest, wrapping himself tightly around my torso.<p>

I sighed, glad that we'd finally arrived at the guild, "We're here, Val. Come on." I wasn't annoyed that he'd been inspecting every building we passed by…more like I was worried that I'd turn around and he'd be gone.

"We're here!" I called, swinging the door open. Natsu bounded towards me, "Where's the kid?"

"I'm not a kid!" Val said indignantly, floating in above my head. He drifted to the ground and wrapped his arms around my leg.

"How did you sleep?" Erza asked, leaning down a bit.

"Really well! Lucy is comfy," he said with delight.

"Nice, buddy. Scoring a night with Lucy the first day you met her," said Grey, fist-bumping Val.

"Thanks! But…I don't get it," said Val, looking confused.

"He's talking about—" started Natsu, but I shut him up with a punch in the arm. "What is wrong with you?" I hissed. Val floated up beside us, "What is Gray talking about?

"Nothing," I replied, smiling. He looked like he wanted to protest, but instead just nodded. He latched onto me again. He was pretty clingy, but what did I expect? He _had _just lost a close friend.

"Where's the master?" I asked Erza.

"Right over there," she said, gesturing to the bar where the master was sitting in a meditative position. I raised an eyebrow and heads towards him. I stopped short when I heard Val yelp. I whirled around, on high alert, but tried not to laugh when I saw what had happened. Val was sitting on the floor, staring up at Gajeel. Gajeel grunted as he leaned menacingly over Val.

"Wait, Val…he's not a bad gu—" I began, but my words were cut off when I had the wind knocked out of me. Val had rocketed into my chest, causing me to lose my balance and fall backwards. I flailed about, trying to stay upright, but it didn't work.

"Luce!" Natsu yelled. He sprinted forward, running full-speed towards us. I was suddenly stopped by something hard…but it definitely wasn't the floor. It wasn't Natsu, either. He was still a few yards away. I looked up hesitantly, my arms wrapped tightly around Val who was sobbing.

"Blondie," Laxus said, his deep voice reverberating in his chest and therefore my back, which was pressed against his rock-hard abs.

"Thanks?" I squeaked. He grinned down at me. I smiled nervously, my face heating up. He pushed me upright and away from his chest. I couldn't help but feel a little cold. I looked down and saw Val who was still shaking and crying. I pet his head, "Hey, Val. It's ok. You're safe. I'm right here. Gajeel isn't scary…he's one of my friends."

He looked up at me with his adorable tear-stained face, "He _is _scary!"

"Thanks," grumbled Gajeel, sauntering past, a nail hanging from his mouth.

"Gajeel, say you're sorry," I insisted, staring him down. He sat down on a barstool.

"Add a 'no' to my previous statement," he grumbled, picking up his drink. I frowned and looked back to Val, "Ok, so maybe he's not _nice_, but he's not a bad guy, alright?"

Val nodded as I wiped his tears away. "Man, you two sure have gotten close," said Natsu, striding over to us.

"That's because I love Lucy," Val said, hugging me tighter, "And she's really pretty."

I smiled, "Awww…thanks."

He nodded and kissed my cheek, resting his head on my collarbone. Natsu looked a little angry, "Yeah, well she's part of _my _team…not yours." He crossed his arms over his chest.

"I _slept _with her!" Val shot back, "I bet _you _haven't done that!" I felt my face heat up at the thought. Natsu reeled backwards, his face also bright red. I heard Laxus chuckle a little. "_I _saved her life…like, a lot of times!" Natsu argued, leaning forward.

"_I _kiss her, too!" he said a pecked my cheek again.

"Yeah, well just because I haven't done it doesn't mean I don't wa—" Natsu started.

"Be quiet, Natsu," commanded a voice.

"But this kid—" Natsu whined.

"He's the child…not you," said the Master, stepping down from the bar. I set Val down beside me and he grabbed my boot. He huddled close to my shin. The Master strode towards Val, "You're Val, right?" The Master whipped out his best friendly smile.

Val eased up, "Yeah. I'm Val."

"Pleased to meet'cha!" said the Master, grinning. Val smiled a little and stepped forward.

"He's so adorable!" squealed a voice. I glanced to my left and saw Mavis smiling.

"I am _not _adorable!" Val retorted, crossing his arms like the little man that he was.

"Yes, you are," I said, grinning, "…wait…"

"DID HE JUST TALK TO MAVIS?!" Natsu yelled. He got down on his knees next to Val and searched him for a guild mark. Mavis leaned forward and stared at Val.

"Val, can you see her?" I asked.

He nodded, "Why wouldn't I be able to see her?"

"He doesn't have a guild mark!" Natsu concluded.

The Master stroked his impressive mustache, "Peculiar."

Val pulled on my skirt, "Why am I 'peculiar'?"

"He's not peculiar at all," said Mavis, "Well, by your standards, perhaps." He reached out and touched her finger to Val's forehead. A blinding light burst from her fingers. Val's eyes went wide. I had to close my eyes and shield them from the brightness.

"What's happening?" I shouted. When the light finally died down I slowly opened my eyes. Mavis was smiling and sitting beside Val. Val looked the same as always except for one thing.

"T-T…" Natsu stammered.

"Tail!" I finished for him. Val flicked his tail around, "I didn't know I had a tail."

"This is his real form…it being hidden was most likely a side-effect of the curse that's on him," chirped Mavis.

"C-C…" said Natsu.

"Curse!?" I yelled.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry, there are still a lot of questions...hopefully you're catching the drift of the story now, though. If not then you will. :) Don't forget to review! Thanks.**


	3. Can You Hear Me, O?

_~Val~_

I was sitting in Lucy's lap, shrinking back from the people that were surrounding me. Sure, I'd been around Lucy for a while and she didn't scare me, (neither did her friends…because it they were her friends they were mine also), but having all these people loom over me curiously was pretty terrifying. I whimpered a bit.

Lucy patted my head, "It's alright. They're my friends also, Val. Everyone in this room is a good person."

I raised my head and whispered into her ear, "Can you tell them to back away a little? They're scary…" I clutched her shirt tightly for comfort.

Lucy nodded, "Hey, guys. Could you maybe back up a bit? You're scaring him." The people who were the closest immediately took a couple steps back. I relaxed a bit.

"So…he has a tail," said a man wearing a helmet-like hat on his head that covered his face. I stared at him, wondering why he was sticking his tongue out. I flicked my tail back and forth curiously. For some reason, as soon as that lady—Mavis, I think—touched my forehead I felt relieved…sort of like the feeling you get when you stretch your muscles after sitting in the same position for a long time.

"Had he always been this miniscule?" asked a man with long, bright green hair. He stroked his chin and inspected me. I wasn't sure what miniscule meant, but I knew that it wasn't something nice by the way the man had said the word, "I am _not _miniscule!"

"Don't pick on the kid…he's Lucy's new best friend," said a man who was alarmingly tall and had a scar across his right eye.

"Thanks, Laxus," Lucy said. I twisted out of Lucy's arms and almost fell on the ground. I tumbled to the floor, but caught myself a second before I made contact. I floated a few inches up and then flew up to stare at the man who'd defended me. I was about at eye level with him, "Do you like Lucy too?"

His face turned red, but I didn't know why. "She's mine!" I insisted, leaning forward as menacingly as I could. I let out a low growl.

"He's purring," said the man with pink hair…Natsu, I think.

"I am not purring!" I yelled, outraged. Everyone around me started laughing. At first that made me angrier, but then I couldn't help but laugh alongside them. Natsu walked up to me and held out his arm, "Truce?"

I stared at it and then shook it, well…I sort of shook it. His hand was twice as large as mine, she he sort of just grabbed my hand. It was weird.

"Val, will you come here for a moment?" said the man who was about as tall as me…which made me like him immediately. I grinned and floated up to where he stood on the second floor.

"Master?" Lucy asked. I hesitated and then turned to look at her. I stayed there, floating, and then made a decision. I returned to Lucy's side and wrapped myself around her arm again.

"Val, bring Lucy, too," the short man called again. Lucy stood up and I pulled her along, yanking on her arm to try and make her walk faster. When we finally got up to the second floor, the Master—as Lucy had called him—and the nice lady who had helped me earlier were sitting side by side.

"Hello again, Val," she said, "My name is Mavis."

I smiled, "Thank you for helping me!"

She smiled back and giggled, "I did what I could."

"Now, Val, there's something we have to tell you…you too, Lucy," said the Master. I settled down on Lucy's lap after she sat down across from Mavis and the Master.

"Lucy, I suppose we owe you an explanation," said the Master, "About his curse."

Lucy nodded, "I'm just really worried." I felt her arms tighten around me and for some reason it scared me. I could sense her unrest.

"His curse is far from fatal, so you don't need to worry. However, that's all we can tell about it," said the Master, faltering.

"We aren't certain about the specific characteristics of his curse, just that it is restraining him in some sort of way. I'm not sure if that means physically or magically…maybe even mentally, we're not sure. There's something else you should know," added Mavis. Lucy stared expectantly, leaning forward. "Val is…a fairy." _A fairy? I'm a fairy? What's a fairy?_

Lucy stared blankly, "A fairy?"

Mavis nodded, "Makarov may be too young to know this, but fairies really did exist…a long time ago. They were hunted down; their magic was extracted from them, and they were known to be extinct. I'm not sure how Val survived, but he must have been living alone for a very long time. That's most likely why he is capable of seeing me."

"You're saying that Val is actually an old man?" Lucy breathed, "And a fairy?" she added.

"I'd attribute his small physical state to his curse, whatever it is," said Mavis, "Whoever cast it on him was very powerful. I can sense dark magic coming from him. I would also guess that it has something to do with the shadows that were after him."

I wasn't sure what they were talking about, but I shrunk back at the mention of shadows. I whimpered and tried to hide behind Lucy. I felt tears well up as I thought of O. He must be scared right now, all alone. I had to help him. Lucy immediately wrapped her arms around me, "Shh, Val. It's alright. I promised that you were safe…that I would help you, right?"

I nodded, shaking a bit. "I won't break that promise," she said. She stroked my hair and looked up at Mavis, "Are you done? I need to take him home."

"There's one last thing. Mavis could also tell that the curse was breaking…slowly being lifted. Perhaps that is why those shadows were so desperate to catch him," said the master.

Lucy's eyes darkened, "Done now?"

Mavis nodded, looking sad, "I'm sorry that I had to tell you like this."

Lucy held me close to her chest as she stood up. I hung off of her neck, still crying a little. We stepped back into the main hall of the guild. As soon as they saw my tears, lots of the strangers surged forward. I wasn't scared, though, not this time. They were only worried about me.

"Are you ok, Val?" questioned a pretty lady with long, silver hair and bright blue eyes.

I nodded, sniffing, "I just have something in my eye!"

"You're a tough one, aren't you?" Erza asked, smiling at me approvingly.

"Of course he's tough…he's a man after all," Gray added. I nodded my head vigorously.

"Luce, do you want me to help bring him home?" Natsu asked, walking up to us.

She nodded thankfully, "That'd be a big help."

"We'll come too," said the rest of Lucy's friends.

"Honestly, one maniac is more than enough…but I don't see me ever being able to convince you otherwise, so I guess you can come," said Lucy. We headed towards the door. I didn't doubt that Lucy would keep me safe, and so would her friends, so I easily drifted to sleep. I fell into a dream.

_ I walked through the forest, my toes cold and my nose red. It was early winter and I didn't have anything to keep me warm. I could see my breath in quick, white puffs. I rubbed my hands together and then stumbled. I tried to catch myself, but instead tumbled towards the ground. I pushed myself upright, trying to push back the tears. _

_ It didn't work. I bowed my head, my pink hair falling around my face. I felt hot tears stream down my cheeks, my sadness warming my cheeks. I curled up into a ball, trying to conserve my body heat. I had to stay warm. I knew that I couldn't walk another step on such frozen feet. _

_ "Why are you crying?" asked a voice. I looked up and saw nothing. I glanced around myself, sniffing. I waited to hear the voice again, but it didn't come. I curled up again, letting the tears fall. Was I going to die there?_

_ "Why are you crying?" the voice asked again. My head shot up immediately. This time I saw a small creature sitting in front of me. He was furry and his little paws left tiny footprints in the snow. I wondered why this flying squirrel was talking to me—and why I could understand him—but didn't let the question linger in my mind. _

_ "I-I'm all alone," I replied, rubbing my eyes. I hiccupped between sobs. _

_ "But you're not alone. I'm here, aren't I?" he asked. _

_ I looked up at him, my tears drying up for some reason that I wasn't sure of, "Y-Yes." _

_ "Come with me. I'll show you something nice," he said. He flew into the air. When I didn't follow him he turned around and asked, "Aren't you coming?" _

_ "I can't move," I whimpered. _

_ "Sure you can. Just try it. Nothing's impossible, right?" he said, flitting a little closer to me. I frowned skeptically but then focused all of my thoughts on movement. I summoned my energy. Before I knew it I was floating off of the ground. _

_ "See? You can do anything," he said, "Now come on!" I smiled and followed after him, narrowly missed tree as I flew and occasionally slamming into them. I obviously had to perfect my flight capabilities. After a while of floating through the frigid forest air, we finally stopped. _

_ "Is this what you wanted to show me?" I asked, looking up at the giant tree in front of us. _

_ "Yes. It's my home, but I want you to share it with me," he said. He flew through a small hole at the base of the tree. I followed after him, barely squeezing through it. It opened up into a large room inside of the tree. I was grateful for the warmth and immediately lay down. _

_ "Why do you want to share such a place with me?" I asked, letting my eyes close. Exhaustion was getting the best of me. _

_ "Because I don't have any friends. I figured you were a perfectly good candidate, so I decided to bring you along." _

_ "I don't have any friends either," I said, yawning. _

_ "But now you do. My name is Otto, but you can call me O." _

_ "Alright, O. My name is Val." _

It was a nice dream, and I relished every second of time with my friend. I didn't want to wake up and face reality. The truth was that I had let my friend down. I'd let him be taken. It was in that moment, when I was reminded of the bond that we had, that I swore to myself that I would find him. I promised to O that I would rescue him. I was sure that Lucy and the rest would help me. I wasn't scared.

_Can you hear me, O? I'm coming for you. It's a promise…because you're my friend._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: *sobsob* I love Val so much...sorry, but I do. I hope you liked this chapter as much as I loved working on it. Don't forget to leave me a review...they really push me to keep writing, (and write faster). I love reading what you guys have to say about my story and it makes me happy to know that you like it. So...review!**


	4. He Dodged My Lucy Kick!

_~Lucy~_

"Do you think he's gonna be ok?" Gray asked, looking down at Val who I'd tucked into my bed. He was smiling in his sleep.

"Of course he will. I'll make sure of it," I said, though my uncertainty showed in my voice. Natsu patted my shoulder, "We'll help you Lucy. You two aren't in this alone."

I smiled, "Yeah." I sat down beside Val on my best and brushed his pink hair from his face. He mumbled and grabbed my arm, pulling it close like a teddy bear.

"It seems we should leave you two to get some sleep," said Erza, smiling. I nodded gratefully, "Thanks, you guys." Val squeezed my arm tighter. I watched as my friends filed out of my room. They were much quieter today than usual. I was grateful for that, too.

"Lucy," Val mumbled. I look at him and realized that he was still asleep. "I'm glad we're friends," Val breathed, sighing deeply.

I leaned down and kissed his forehead, lying down beside him. I stared at him and realized that I wanted to protect him more than I'd ever wanted to protect anything before. I let my head fall onto my pillow and my eyes slowly slid shut.

I fell asleep with him in my arms again.

* * *

><p>It was morning again. Just like yesterday, I felt warm and comfortable. I smiled, "Val, wake up."<p>

There was no answer. "Val?" I asked, my eyes drifting open. I was not mentally prepared for what I was about to see. I rubbed my eyes, my vision returning to me bit by bit. When I finally realized what was sprawled out in front of me…I can't say I didn't freak out.

"What the F**K?" I screamed. I tumbled out of my bed and fell on my butt. I was too surprised to cry out in pain. I stumbled to my feet and stared. Passed out in my bed was probably the most attractive man I'd ever seen…and he was naked. I looked away, my face on fire, and then couldn't resist the urge to look back.

His olive skin was flawless. His chest and arms were chiseled, (I wasn't sure about what was under the blanket…thank god). I stared at his face. His eyelashes were dark and long. His face looked peaceful. I reached forward to touch him. His eyes snapped open and I yelped. He grabbed my wrist and stared at me, his violet eyes boring into mine, "Who are you?"

"I should be the one asking you that question! Why are you in my bed?" I shot back.

He looked me up and down, most likely to determine if I was a threat. "I get in a lot of women's beds," he said, winking. My face lit up. _He was definitely not 'determining if I was a threat'! _

He sat upright, his muscles tensing. I stared at him. "See something you like, girlie?" he asked, grinning devilishly. His disheveled pink hair fell over one of his gorgeous and mesmerizing eyes. I ripped my eyes from his and he released my wrist. I rubbed it, realizing that he was pretty strong…then again, who wouldn't be strong with all those muscles. I mean…he was like a rock. He stood up, tying my sheets around his waste. I was glad he didn't plan on perusing my apartment stark naked.

"Where is my armor?" he asked, looking around the room.

"Why would I have your armor?" I asked, stepping back a little.

"Look, I know it looks expensive, but it's really not. You don't have to steal it," he said, crossing his arms over his ripped chest.

"I didn't take it!" I yelled.

"Well, the only person who would have it is you. I mean, if we slep—" he began. His eyes went wide as I whipped out my trademark Lucy Kick. My foot would have collided with his face if he hadn't dodged expertly.

"Damn, you need to calm down," he said, laughter in his voice, "We only slep—"

"I did not sleep with you! I slept with Val!" I shouted. That's when the panic struck me, "Oh my god! Where is he? Val?" I shouted his name, looking around the house. I grabbed my keys and pulled on a jacket. I didn't need to change—thank god—in front of this stranger because I had the clothes I'd worn yesterday on still.

"Where are you going?" asked Gorgeous, (my nickname for the stranger who had invaded my apartment).

"I need to find Val. He could be in danger and I won't let him get hurt," I said, ripping the door open.

"That's touching," he said, smiling. I stopped and turned to stare at him.

"Whatever," I scoffed, rolling my eyes. I took a step out of my door before he called back to me, "I don't know if you care, but my name is Val." I froze up and turned back to him again.

I took a few steps forward and then stared at him. I had an epiphany. It hit me like a train…or maybe like a two-ton weight and lions. Why lions? I thought it would make my point clearer. I was damn surprised.

The blood drained from my face and I clapped a hand to my face. My eyes bugged out of my head and I pointed at his face. My finger was inches from his nose. I stared at it and then looked back up at my face, raising an eyebrow. "Y-You're Val!" I shouted.

"Well, actually, my full name is Valaymier…but most people do call me Val," he said, nodding his exquisite head.

I fell to my hands and knees, "Oh. My. God. I've been sleeping with a grown man for two nights! No! He was a kid then. Shit! The curse. This must be it. She did say that it was breaking! I should have expected this!"

Val crouched beside me, propping his elbows on his knees and cocking his head, "But seriously…where are my clothes?"

I looked up at him, "We _need _to get to the guild."

"Guild? Are my clothes there?"

"No…wait, you don't remember Fairy Tail?"

He laughed out loud, "There's a guild called Fairy Tail? That's ironic."

"Shut up, Val," I growled, "Now is not the time to whip out the tail…where am I going to find you clothes?"

"What'd you do? Burn them?" he asked, leaning closer.

I shook my head and stood up. He looked up at me and I felt a pang in my heart. God, his eyes are amazing. _NO! Stop it Lucy! This is Val! Cut it out! You're being creepy! Alright…I'm cool…I'm over it._

"These are your clothes," I said, walking over to my bed. I picked up the shredded clothes that Val had been wearing when we went to sleep last night.

He stood up and took them in his hand, "That's not funny."

"It's not supposed to be."

He stared at me. "You have a curse. I don't know who put it on your or when or even why it's breaking now, but you do. Apparently you were trapped in kid's body for a long time. That's how I met you. Shadows were after you and you flew into the guild. Then you said you loved me and we became friends. I promised that I would help you find your friend, Otto, who is a flying squirrel. You sleep here with me because you're really attached to me and you had no other place to sleep," I said, taking a deep breath after reciting all of those words in a completely monotone voice.

He kept staring for a few seconds and then nodded, saying, "That makes sense."

I blinked, "Seriously?"

"Yup," he said, folding his arms behind his head, "I do need clothes, though, if we're going to this guild. They'll break it for me, right?"

"How do you expect me to get man-clothes?" I demanded, stomping my foot.

"Your boyfriend doesn't leave his clothes here?" Val asked, sitting down again.

"I don't have a boyfriend," I said and then immediately regretted my words.

Val grinned again, flashing his pearly-whites, "All the better for me." He stood up and walked closer to me. I stuck out my hands, keeping him at arms length. Unfortunately, that meant that my palms pressed against his chest.

"Cut it out. You're just a kid in my eyes," I said, looking away.

"That's hurtful," he said, his voice tempting me to look back. He was smiling. I scowled and said, "We need to get you clothes, asshole."

"Oh that? I was just kidding around," he said. He took a step back and bright, golden light shimmered around him. Soon, his entire body was glowing. His long hair was whipping around his face. When the flow finally died down, he was standing there wearing full armor. It was bright golden and wrapped around a majority of his body, (except for his chest, which I figured was just a way to vainly show off his rock-hard muscles).

I frowned, "You suck."

"What are you talking about? You aren't impressed?" he asked.

"No."

"Should I tone it down?" he asked, grinning smugly. He glowed again, but this time when the light disappeared he was wearing a normal pair of jeans and a vest-like shirt that left little to the imagination, "So, where is this guild of yours? I'd like to meet the guild that's named after me."

"It's not named after _you_!" I hissed, walking towards the door and pulling it open. He followed after me, "Who else would it be named after?"

"Someone needs to kick the shit out of you and then maybe that ego you lug around would deflate."

"You have a foul mouth."

"It seems that my mouth is only like this when I'm around you."

"I don't mind that." He smirked at me and winked as we walked out of the building.

I scowled, "That's creepy. Stop doing that."

"Can't. It's a habit."

"So you're a player?"

"I like to call myself a lady-charmer."

"Yeah, well, you're not that suave."

"We'll see about that."

* * *

><p>"Guys, we have a problem!" I shouted, pushing the doors open.<p>

"I don't fancy being called a problem," Val mumbled. I fought the urge to punch him in the face, but held back. How had I been attracted to this guy…even for the brief moment that it was?

"Who is that? He's B. E. A. UTIFUL!" squealed Mira.

"Don't encourage him!" I shouted, but I was too late. Val was already all over her, "Why thank you. You're not so bad yourself. What's your name?"

"Luce…why are you with a player?" Natsu asked, standing beside me.

"That's not just some random player…it's Val," I said, rubbing my temples. I walked over to him and slammed him on the head, "Stop being a little d—"

"I don't know what you were about to say, but I assure you that it is _not _small," Val said, interrupting me. He leaned close, his face inches from mine, "I'll prove it to you, if you'd like."

"Oi! What are you doing to Lucy?" Laxus asked, looming over Val. Val was tall, but Laxus was taller by a few inches. Val turned and stared up at Laxus, "Are you on steroids?"

Laxus growled. "Don't do it! You _seriously _don't want to piss Laxus off," I said, trying to warn Val.

"Yeah…I'm sure he's _really _terrifying," Val scoffed, striding past Laxus casually. No doubt he was looking for more women to seduce. I frowned. _Oh, god. Val, what have you done? _

Laxus's eyes lit up with rage, "Are you ignoring me?"

"Pretty much," Val called over his shoulder.

"Well, I won't let anyone do that to Lucy without paying the consequences!" Laxus shouted. Lightning crackled around him and he lunged for Val. He raised his fist, ready to strike. Val turned around just in time to see Laxus flying towards him. I screamed out. What if _this _Val being beaten would hurt_ my _Val? I wasn't about to let that happen.

I was too late, though. I stared in horror as Laxus's electrified fist descended upon Val. Strangely, though, Val looked completely calm. Val raised on arm and did the unbelievable. Laxus's fist collided with Val's palm, Laxus's magic disappearing. Laxus's eyes were wide.

Val grinned, his other arm still at his waste, "That was stupid. You'll regret it."

"Wait, Val! Don't hurt him!" I called out, stumbling forwards. Val hesitated, his brow furrowing. His arm tensed. He looked like he really wanted to hurt Laxus, but that he couldn't. Laxus stepped back before Val could do anything.

"Lucy, why isn't my arm moving?" Val yelled.

I smiled and walked forward. I wrapped my arms around him tightly and he relaxed a bit. "Because the Val I know is still inside you," I whispered. I hugged him tight.

He wrapped on arm around me, the same one that had just stopped Laxus effortlessly. "I swear, I'm not hugging you," he whispered back. After a few seconds I pulled away and smiled up at him. He frowned, "Why do I feel like I've known you for a long time?"

"Because we're friends," I replied. He looked puzzled, but didn't argue with me.

"For some reason I fell like I could really l—" he began. That's when his eyes went wide. His face contorted in pain and he fell to his knees. He started sweating and breathing hard. "Val! Are you alright?" I asked, really worried. He nodded, "I'm alright, I just think I'm—" His words were cut off as he cried out. He looked up at me, his eyes desperate, "Lucy, I—"

He vanished. The only thing left were a pile of his clothes. I stared at the pile in disbelief. I raised a hand to my face and tears started to fall from my eyes. "Val?" I squeaked. Had I lost him? Had Val left me for good?

The pile shifted a bit. A tiny pink head peeked out of it. Violet eyes peeked out at me. They filled with tears, "Lucy!"

I gasped and immediately pulled Val close to me, keeping him covered in the older Val's clothes. He was shaking and sobbing, "I'm sorry, Lucy!"

"It's ok. You're back. That's all that matters," I said, crying myself.

"I'm sorry that I said those things to you!" Val whined, hugging me tightly.

"You remember everything then?" I asked.

He nodded, "I really didn't want to prove it to you!"

I laughed and hugged him tighter. A chorus of laughter surrounded us. I came back to the present, realizing that everyone had been watching.

"Are you two alright?" Mira asked. I nodded and so did Val. I got to my feet, Val still in my arms.

"That's good…I just have one question," Natsu said, "WHY IS VAL A GROWN MAN!?"

"And why is he so sexy?" Cana added, ever the helper.

"I'm not sexy! I'm not!" Val cried out. I smiled. This was going to be a strange conversation.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading, (yet again). Please remember to leave a review! I'm in love with reviews. I review-stalk my stories. Just thought you should know that little tidbit about me. It's not creepy unless you make it creepy. :|**


	5. The Soft Side

_~Val~_

I was sitting beside Lucy, my legs crossed, as she braided my hair. I liked the feeling of her fingers running through my hair. It was soothing.

"I think the only way to break the curse is to find the person who cast it on him," Lucy's friend speculated, leaning down close to me. I stared at her. She had blue hair and looked sort of like a pixie. I giggled inwardly.

"I'm not sure I want to break the curse, Levy," Lucy said, pausing with her fiddling with my hair.

"Lucy," Levy scolded, "I don't think that's a choice for you to make."

"But, I—" Lucy began. I reached up and pressed my small fingers on her lips. She looked surprised. I kept them there as I spoke my mind, "Lucy, I'm just a curse. I think the real Val wouldn't be happy if I were to stay like this." It hurt to say those words, but they were the truth. I knew that. I kept my hand on her lips even as she started to tear up, "But first I have to save O. He needs my help. I won't leave a friend."

There was a moment of silence as I eased my fingers off of her lips. A tear dripped down her cheek and fell from her chin. She pressed her forehead to mine and I smiled.

"Wow. That kid has more Fairy Tail spirit than any of us here," said a voice. I turned and saw Gray sitting on a bench a ways across the room. He stood up and smiled, walking towards me. He knelt beside me and patted my head, "I'll help you out, buddy."

"Brave little guy, aren't you?" Natsu added, smiling wide.

"I'm not little," I mumbled.

"I don't agree with you," said a new voice.

"What? I'm not small!" I insisted.

"I'm not talking about your size," Erza said, her face blank. She strode towards me, her armor clanking with each step.

"A long time ago I learnt something important," she said, kneeling beside me, "You don't die for your friends…you _live _for them. Is it really fair for you to leave Lucy and everyone here to miss you?"

My eyes went wide. She put an armored glove on my head, "I figured that out the hard way." Tears welled up in my eyes.

"That's not really fair, Erza. Don't you think it should be his choice?" Gray asked.

"I believe it should be his choice, but he should know that if he leaves us we will miss him. I simply want him to fight for the life that belongs to him. I don't like seeing people give themselves up easily. Perhaps that has something to do with my own experiences," Erza said, her face growing dark.

I reached up and took her hand, "There's no way that I can fight it, though. The curse will break eventually. I just hope that I can save O before it happens."

"You don't know that the curse will break. I don't want it to!" Lucy whimpered, tears falling quickly now.

I turned to her and flew into her lap. I hugged her tightly, "We'll always be friends, Lucy. Don't worry."

"I don't want you to leave me," she whimpered. People were staring at us. I stood up and kissed her cheeks, tasting her salty tears. I wrapped my arms around her neck and she immediately hugged me back. "I've chosen to be brave, Lucy. I hope that you can be proud of me."

There was a brief moment of silence before she whispered, "Of course I can." I smiled.

* * *

><p>I was sitting on the bar and drinking juice from a cup that was about as big as my head. "Careful, Val. If you spill I'll have to clean it up," Mira scolded. I'd gotten familiar with the entire guild's names over the past few days.<p>

"I would help you," I said resolutely, turning to Mira.

She smiled, "Of course you would." I nodded and went back to my drink. I looked out over the guild and recited everyone's names in my head…not that it really mattered. The first person I caught sight of was the one who likes Lucy…Laxus, I think. He was a big guy. I figured he was pretty strong. Laxus's friends were around him. There was Bickslow, the one who always stuck out his tongue for reasons that went unknown to me. There was Evergreen, the one who always hung around the other large man, Elfman. Lastly, there was Freid. He was sullen and never left Laxus's side.

I looked over to my right and saw my closest friends. Erza was eating a piece of cake. She didn't strike me as the kind of person who would like cake, but apparently she did. I saw Gray, too, who was half-naked and relaxing in one of the booths. Natsu was munching down on some fire, looking utterly content with his life. Lucy caught my eyes and smiled. I grinned and took another sip from my giant cup.

There were various other people that I recognized. Levy and Team Shadowgear sat beside Gajeel. I originally thought he was scary, but I didn't see him that way anymore. The older me could probably flick him and send him flying. I grinned and took another sip of juice.

_Damn straight I could do that_, said a voice. I perked up and cocked my head, looking around. _Hey, Kid, mind giving me the body? _

That's when it hit me. "I don't want to do that. I have to save O first," I whispered, making sure that no one could hear me talking to myself.

_I figured you'd say that. _I was silent and so was he. After a few moments I whispered, "I'm scared to disappear."

He was silent for a long time. For a moment I thought that I had imagined the entire thing. That's when he spoke in my mind. _I've been afraid before, too. Don't get me wrong. I don't normally brag about my weakness, but I sort of feel like I'm telling myself anyways. _

"You've been afraid before?" I breathed, "But you're the strongest of the strong. You wouldn't have a reason to be afraid."

He was silent for a moment and then: _just because you're strong doesn't mean that you can't be afraid. Besides…from what I've seen you're much stronger than I've ever been…_

"What does that mean?"

_You've faced disappearing in the face. I know you're scared…but I could never do that. _

I smiled, "Yeah?"

_…yeah…_

"Thanks…" We were silent for a moment. I felt a strange friendship between us. I never knew you could be friends with yourself.

_Hey, Kid…I don't say this much…but I'll watch over you, ok? _

"I don't care much about myself…not really."

_But I do…_

"That's the same as caring about yourself."

_No, it's not. It's different_.

"Well…either way, it doesn't matter. Could I ask you something?"

_You want me to watch over her, don't you? _

"Even after I'm gone…yes."

_…It's a promise…_

* * *

><p>"Time to go, Val!" Lucy called from outside. I grabbed the small bag that I then slung over my shoulder. I wrapped my tail around myself tightly and launched myself out of the window, laughing. It was a sunny, warm day and the sky was cloudless.<p>

"Don't do that! You'll scare me to death! Do you want that?" Lucy shouted to me. I floated beside her.

"No," I said, twisting around in the air, "It'd be really sad if you died."

"You're so cute," Lucy said, scrunching her nose and kissing my cheek. _Jeez, you're almost as good as me, _the other me said in my head. I frowned at the idea.

"Lucy, we're here!" Natsu called, running up to us. He rapped his arms around Lucy and hugged her tightly. I frowned.

"The Waas forest is pretty far away. We should get going soon," said Erza, dragging her giant wagon of luggage behind her.

"It was Waas that you said, right?" Gray asked, looking at me expectantly. I hesitated. _Yeah, it's Waas. That's where you'll find the dark guild Thief Soul. They're probably the ones that cursed me. That's where you'll find your friend…our friend._

"Yeah, it's Waas," I said with a smile. I flew up and perched on Erza's luggage.

"Then let's get going," Lucy said happily.

"Natsu, we are _so _catching a train," Erza commented.

"NO!" Natsu yelled, "Why would you do this to me!?"

"Stop whining, crybaby," Gray mumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"That was harsh, Gray," Lucy pointed out.

"I'm cool like that," Gray said, grinning at his pun.

"That was horrifying," Erza said, pulling her luggage—and me—behind her as she walked alongside her friends.

"You know you liked it," Gray said, grinning.

"No, I wasn't aware of that fact," Erza said, not able to take a joke. I laughed a little.

"Don't laugh, Val. This is serious. Erza's sense of humor has shrunk to a _new _low! Considering how miniscule it was before, this is terrible!" Gray said, mock horror on his face. That earned him an elbow to the gut. I laughed again. I was reminded how nice it was to be able to be with these people. I was glad that I met them and that I got to spend time with them.

_Are you alright? _

"I'm alright. I'm sad to have to say goodbye to my friends, but I'm happy that I got the chance to meet them."

_You're really a pure soul, aren't you? _

"I wouldn't know."

_ Well, I know what a pure soul doesn't look like. You being the opposite of me would make you pure, wouldn't it?_

"Does that mean you consider yourself un-pure?"

_That's cute, kid. _

"I'm not cute!" I said, louder than I meant to. I could have sworn that I heard the older me laughing in my head.

"No one called you cute," Natsu said, his arms folded behind his head. I hadn't told them about the counterpart that resided in my thoughts. Well, they obviously knew that I was connected to him, but I hadn't told them that I could hear his voice. When they asked me how I knew where we had to go, I'd just told them that I'd regained memories of some sort. They'd believed me. I felt a little bad about lying to them, but didn't want to worry Lucy. "Oh, sorry. I thought I heard someone say 'cute'." They just laughed and kept walking.

_That's a pure soul if I ever saw one. Makes me worry for you, kid. _

"You know what worry feels like?"

_I do now…I guess. _

"Will you worry about Lucy after…after everything?"

_I already do, kid. _

"That's good…"

_It's strange. Seeing you like this…_ He was quiet.

"What?"

_I was just thinking. Maybe I can…_

"What are you talking about? You can what?" I asked, leaning forward a bit and tucking my knees close to my chest. I hugged myself.

_Nothing. Don't worry about it. _

"Val, come on down here! I'm getting lonely!" Lucy called.

"Hey, we're your friends too, you know," Natsu complained.

"Yeah, but you're not nearly as adorable as Val is," Lucy shot back. I grinned and shot down to her, "I'm _not _adorable."

"Sure you aren't," Lucy said, tousling my hair. I smiled and took her hand. She squeezed my palm and sighed. I squeezed her hand back.

That's when I heard him say something I didn't expect.

_Maybe I can save you…_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yes, Player Val/Val Numero Uno! Save Adorable Val/Val Numero Dos! Hmm...will he save Val? What will he do? Is Player Val really such a bad person or will the soft side we've seen in this chapter be the _real _Val? Look forward to the answers in the next chapter! OH! And don't forget to leave a review if you liked it! I welcome your advice/suggestions/luvvvvly and beauteous comments! (Actually, as previously mentioned...I'm in love with them)**

**Thanks for reading and look forward to the next chapter soon! :)**


	6. The Champion of the Stalking Contest

_~Valaymier~_

It was strange watching the younger me talk and joke with his friends. In fact, it was almost surreal. I was watching them as they walked through the busy street of Clover Town. I felt sort of like how I imagined a ghost would feel: I could see and hear things around me, but I couldn't touch or communicate with people. The only person who could hear me was Mini-me. I would strike up a conversation, but right now he was too busy talking with Lucy. It got me pretty bored.

"Lucy, I'm hungry," Val said, hanging off of her shoulders. Man, he really was just a little kid. Somehow—I'm not sure when—I'd grown fond of him. I've never really been fond of anyone before, but that kid pulled on my heartstrings.

"Alright," Lucy said smiling. I liked her smile. Her smile seemed to cheer me up, and I liked that. It occurred to me that she was another person I'd grown fond of. It also occurred to me that I was becoming a softie. I questioned why I was acting like this—feeling these things—but I let the thought slip from my mind. It wasn't that important. At least, I didn't think so.

"Me, too! I'm hungry, too!" shouted Natsu, waving his hand in the air excitedly. He was even less mature than Val was, which I managed to find impressive and annoying at the same time.

"Food sounds nice. Let's find a place nearby to eat," Erza said, nodding resolutely.

"We are in the middle of town. I doubt that it will be that hard," Gray added, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"How about that place?" Lucy said, pointing to a small café on the corner. It looked like any other café, with a green door and big glass windows.

"It looks fine. Let's go," Erza said. Natsu led the pack, Val following closely behind him. "Foooood!" Val and Natsu practically screamed at the same time.

"Wait up!" Lucy called. I smiled to myself, laughing silently at their childish antics.

"I'm dying of hunger," Val said as his stomach roared. That's when it hit me.

_Val, don't go in there! _I yelled. It was too late. He'd already burst through the door. I caught sight of her: the source of the dark magic that was radiating from the café. I recognized her immediately. It belonged to Ambrosia. She was sipping tea at one of the tables and spotted Val immediately. She stared at him, her green, catlike eyes, which I had found so sexy all that time ago, narrowed slightly.

She calmly put down her elegant teacup and pulled up the hems of her long, lace gloves. Her golden hair was longer than it was the last time I'd seen her, whenever that had been. I wasn't sure considering the fact that I'd been in a semi-coma for a while. It reached down to her waist, the waves that had reminded me of sunlight shone in the dim light. Her long, sleek dress was dark against her pale skin. A small smile pulled at the corner of her bright red lips.

_Val, run! _I shouted. He didn't move. _What are you doing? You need to get out of there!_

"Val? What is it?" Lucy asked, coming up behind Val. Natsu had sensed the same thing that Lucy did when she walked into the room.

"Well, well," Ambrosia cooed, "It seems fate has finally returned you to me."

Val tensed up, "It was you, wasn't it. You're the one who took O?" His eyes were dark. _No, Val, just go!_

He ignored me, "Give my friend back."

"Well, isn't that just…" she paused, considering what word to use, "Disturbing?" She took a step towards Val, her heels clicking against the tiles and her thigh peeking out of the slit in her dress.

"Disturbing?" Val questioned, anger still in his voice. I'd given up on trying to get him to leave. I knew he wouldn't listen to me.

"The Val that _I _knew wouldn't befriend anyone. He was a rather cruel man," she said, her tongue snaking out of her mouth and gliding along her ruby lips. She let out an amused laugh and showed her sharp canines, "I guess my curse has really changed you, hasn't it?"

That pissed me off. Yeah, once I had found her attractive enough to spend a night with her, but I hadn't known how ugly she was inside. How should I have known that she would fall in love with me after _one _night? I let out a deep growl. She raised a thin eyebrow and tilted her delicate chin up, "Is that the real Val that I'm hearing?"

I realized that my counterpart was growling also. It sounded much too deep for a child like him. "Val?" Lucy whimpered.

"Hey, Val, do I need to beat this lady?" Natsu asked, his fists lighting up. I frowned. I highly doubted that a weak wizard like Natsu would be able to defeat Ambrosia. Granted, he was one of the strongest amongst his friends, but that didn't mean much.

"I'll help you," Gray said, stepping forward and patting his friend's shoulder. It was strange that the one thing that brought the two of them together was violence.

"Don't underestimate her," Erza said commandingly, "And be careful of civilians."

Ambrosia laughed, "You are challenging me?"

"We always fight for our friends," Lucy said, not a hint of fear in her voice. She was wrong to be unafraid. Ambrosia would surely annihilate them. I had to stop this. I had to help them. Besides, they were little me's friends. If I ever planned on saving Val, he'd be sad if they weren't there. On top of that, Lucy was here. I felt a strange attachment to her. All I knew was that I didn't want her to get hurt. I wouldn't let that happen.

"Lucy, you need to go," Val said, his voice quiet but determined.

"What are you talking about? I'd never leave you!"

"Please, Lucy?" Val asked, turning to her. His eyes were watery.

She shook her head violently, "Puppy-dog eyes won't work for something like this."

Val looked angry, "Lucy, I don't want you to get hurt!"

"Oh?" Ambrosia whispered softly. _No, Val! What've you done? Now she knows! _

"So you're fond of this particular girl?" Ambrosia asked, her smile widening, "Do you love her? Do you love her like you said you loved me?"

"I never said—" Val began, but his voice was cut off by terror. Within seconds, Ambrosia's shadows had shot from her gloved hands and wrapped around Lucy, snatching her from where she stood. "Lucy!" Val shouted. He started towards her, but Ambrosia wrapped her long fingers around Lucy's neck. Darkness started to wrap around Lucy's neck. I knew that spell. It was like a collar. If Ambrosia so wished, she could strangle Lucy…or even decapitate her.

"Move another step and she dies," Ambrosia growled, breaking her habit of maintaining a ladylike demeanor that I knew about all to well.

Val froze and so did his friends. Ambrosia looked into Val's eyes and then stared at me…directly at _me_. I didn't know how she knew where I was, but her eyes met mine. "There you are, Val," she said with what would be a sweet smile if I didn't know the truth behind it, "Why don't you come out to play? I know my curse is wearing off. It _has _been a long time since I last saw you."

I growled again, "Let. Lucy. Go."

"Hmmm," she said, cocking her head, "I'm not sure what you're saying, but I'll take her collar off. Maybe then you'll come on out, yes?"

I narrowed my eyes, waiting for the black ring around Lucy's neck to vanish…only it didn't. "On second thought, I think I'll do this instead," she said, smiling. Her smile was cold, not reaching her eyes. It was an insane smile. It was an obsessed smile. Lucy's mouth opened wide as she gasped for air. She scratched at her neck, trying to get the collar off. I knew it wouldn't work.

I felt anger rise inside of me. I told myself I wasn't going to let Lucy get hurt. I told Val that I wouldn't let her get hurt. "Lucy!" Val cried out, tears falling down his face, "Please! Save Lucy!"

I didn't need his permission. I summoned my energy and smirked. _On the count of three, Val. _He nodded. _One. _I took a deep breath. _Two. _Val stopped shaking determinedly. _Three! _

I slipped back into my body as it grew to its usual size. Val's clothes ripped off of me and I immediately requipped into my armor. I lunged forward and knocked Ambrosia back, seizing Lucy easily. I pressed my hand against her throat and released a bit of my magic. She gasped for air as the collar flaked off of her neck. She coughed a few times, her face bright red due to lack of oxygen. I smiled, "Nice to see you again."

She nodded, "Thanks for not letting me…you know, suffocate to death."

"Valaymier!" Ambrosia called loudly from where she'd been sent flying from my attack, "I missed your handsome face, my love!"

I looked up at her, clutching Lucy against myself protectively.

Natsu rushed forward and knelt beside Lucy, "Luce, you ok?"

Lucy nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Help me up." He nodded, a little pink on his cheeks, and lifted her up princess-style. He carried her to safety, putting his desire to battle Ambrosia behind his need to help Lucy. He cared for her gently and my worries eased a bit. I got to my feet, my golden armor shining. Light reflected off of it and lit up Ambrosia's face. She was walking towards me, her hips swaying with each step. When she finally stopped she was standing inches from me, her face looking up at mine. It made me uncomfortable, but I didn't move away. She reached up and touched my face. I slapped her hand away, "Disgusting woman."

"I truly hate you, Valaymier," she hissed. Her hand slid up my chest and grabbed the back of my neck. She yanked my head down and crushed her mouth to mine. I heard Lucy gasp, but was too busy trying to suppress my gag reflex. I hated myself for being drawn in by her trap, but I was young and spent my days chasing women. I didn't know better. Granted, I still chase women, but I was even worse back then. She was still kissing me when I summoned forth my spear. I plunged it into her abdomen and she gasped. Gray cheered, but I knew it wasn't a cause for celebration. It was more of a way to get her to stop kissing me than an attempt at her life.

She growled and yanked the spear from her side. Black blood oozed from her wound, which closed up almost immediately. "You knew you can't kill me that easily," she spat, wiping the line of ink-like blood that had dripped from the corner of her lip away with the back of her hand.

I grinned, "I know. I just like to see you in pain."

"There was a time that I would do anything to see a smile from you. Now it just disgusts me."

"I feel the same way…except I never loved you. It was just a game…a game that you took too seriously."

That did it. She lunged for me, darkness surging forward and winding around her limbs. It encased me and closed in. I didn't doubt that she intended on killing me, but I wasn't about to let that happen. If I were to die it would definitely not be at the hands of _Ambrosia_ of all people. I heard whispers from her shadows: _kill, enemy, crush him!_

"Val!" I heard Lucy shout. I grinned. Right, I had something to protect now. I couldn't die in here. I clapped my hands together a muttered a few words under my breath. When I opened my palms, a bright light shone from them. I reached forward and sliced through the wall of shadows with my two front fingers. Ambrosia growled, "You've gotten stronger, haven't you?"

"I was always weak. I guess love really does make you strong, doesn't it? It makes me wonder if what you feel is love or obsession!"

"What's the difference?" she screamed, launching more shadows at me. I easily dodged them and charged forward. I knew I wouldn't have to use a powerful spell to defeat her. I flew into the air and twisted around, landing behind her. I grabbed her throat lifted her off the ground. Her feet dangled above the tiles and she grasped my wrist. I stared at her.

"Love will betray you, Valaymier. You should know that by now," she hissed. I squeezed tighter and she cried out.

"You're so pitiful. I feel sorry for you," I growled. I clenched my fingers into a fist, snapping her neck. Her eyes went wide and then blank. They turned black within seconds and then so did her skin. She burst into a cloud of black smoke and flew out of the door, rushing past Lucy and everyone else.

"Is she gone?" Erza asked, staring at me in awe.

"No. If she died that easily I would have finished her off a long time ago," I said, requipping into my normal clothes.

"B-But you s-snapped her neck!" Lucy cried out, still in Natsu's arms. For some reason that pissed me off—not her words but where she was currently located.

"That wasn't really her. It was a copy. She does that…annoyingly. They're like spies. She sends them out all across Fiore. She uses them to look for me."

"So…you pulled a one-night-stand on her and she got too attached?" Gray asked.

I frowned, "There are some girls out there who take the word 'stalker' to a whole new level."

Gray scoffed, "Believe me…I _know_."

I raised and eyebrow and then dropped the subject. I walked over to Lucy and patted her head, "I'll let Lil' Val come back now."

She looked happy and then perplexed, "But I have questions."

"I doubt that you want to know about all the women I've slept with," I said, whipping out my player smile that always melted the ladies.

She playfully slapped my arm, "That's _so _not what I was going to ask about." She blushed a little and I grinned.

_I don't want to go back. _The corner of my eye twitched in surprise and I turned away from Lucy. "Val?" she asked. I ignored her momentarily.

"Why?" I whispered.

_I'm ashamed_ was all he said. I frowned and turned to Lucy again, nodding. "I guess we'll have to hold off of your reunion with Tiny Val."

_I'm not tiny! _I smiled.

"What was that about?" Natsu asked, staring at me and stroking his chin.

"Oh yeah…Val didn't tell you, but we can communicate. It's a telepathic sort of thing, I guess," I said, stretching my arms above my head. I turned and walked over to the counter, leaving everyone staring after me in wonder. I ordered one of everything in the menu and the guy behind the counter stared at me, his mouth dropping open. I wondered whether he was shocked by my food selections or the fact that I'd just laid waste to his shop. I mentally shrugged and sighed.

One thought circled around my head: Ambrosia, I can't wait to kill you.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Alriiiight! So, the ultimate arch-nemesis has officially been introduced and we've found out the truth behind the shadows! The big question now arises: what'll happen to the younger and more adorable Val? Is the older and more attractive Val in looooooove? Look forward to the next chapter...I am! Don't forget to leave me a little review...thanks! :D**


	7. A Series of Hilarious Events

_~Lucy~_

"So who was that person?" I asked. I was sitting beside Val—the older one—and I was watching him closely.

He leaned back against the tree we were beside and sighed, "Her name is Ambrosia."

He stayed silent for a little while. "That's it? That's all I get?" I said, smiling a little.

He grinned and nodded, "A long, long time ago…I was dumb enough to fall for her beauty." He crossed his arms over his chest.

"You loved her?" I asked, a little creeped out. Anyone who could fall in love with someone like that didn't have very high standards. Something told me that Val's standards were pretty high when I considered his exterior appearance.

Val scoffed, "That's funny."

"What is?"

"Me falling in love?" he said, laughter in his voice as he raised an eyebrow, "Nope."

I frowned, "So you're saying you'll never fall in love?"

He was quiet for a moment and then looked at me. I saw something strange in his eyes, but I didn't know what it was. "I don't think I deserve something as incredible as love." With that he floated up to the branches above my head and perched there. He draped himself over the branch, letting one of his legs fall over the edge. I stood up and stared up at him, "That's sad, isn't it?"

He stared down at me, "There are sadder things."

"I don't think so."

"Yeah? Why's that?" he asked, sitting upright and propping his head up on his palm.

"Do you know what I believe? I believe that the One Magic, the much sought out powerful presence, is really love. With love comes understanding and happiness. Sometimes it can bring pain and hate, but love changes people. If you can't love anyone, you won't ever get the chance to experience that change."

I stopped myself, realizing that I was rambling. He was staring at me, his violet eyes peering into mine. I felt my face heat up and looked away. I heard him drift down beside me, his clothes rustling as he flew down. "Those are some deep words for someone who has never had a boyfriend," he said. My head whipped back towards him.

"What?" I yelled, outraged.

He laughed, "Calm down. I was just kidding." We were quiet for a moment.

"Thanks, though," he said quietly, the wind rustling the leaves above us and sending his hair cascading across his face. He closed his eyes and sighed, "I guess I am pretty sad, aren't I?"

I reached up and touched his cheek, wondering why I had. His eyes snapped open and he stared at me. "I don't think anyone is unable to fall in love," I whispered, smiling at him. He stared at me and closed his eyes again, nestling his face into my hand, "Maybe you're right."

He leaned forward and kissed my forehead, "You're a good little girlie aren't you?"

"Don't call me that," I said, frowning.

He patted my head, "Well, this is where we part ways."

I looked up at him, "What does that mean?"

"I'll be seeing you…or not. Who knows, right? Besides…I'm pretty sure you'd rather talk to the _other _me."

I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out. He nodded solemnly. I strange feeling rose inside of me and I pushed it away, "Wait, I—" I was too late. After a blinding flash of light, the smaller Val was sitting in front of me. I knelt beside him, "Hey, Val."

To my surprise tears immediately started to stream down his face like tiny rivers. He looked away from me. I sat beside him and lifted his chin so that I could meet his eyes, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he squeaked. He sniffled and rubbed his eyes, trying to stop his tears. It didn't work. I kissed his forehead and picked him up. He hesitated for a moment and then hugged me tightly.

He was shaking as he uttered his next words, "I'm _so _sorry, Lucy!"

That caught me by surprise, "What are you talking about?"

He pulled away and stared at me. His eyes were sorrowful and full of regret, "I couldn't do anything! I couldn't help you even though I _really _wanted to! I just cried…"

I smiled and went in for a quick peck. His stopped my face with both of his hands and cried out, "No! I don't deserve kisses!"

I frowned, his hands still on my mouth. "You're starting to sound exactly the same," I mumbled, my voice muffled by Val's hands. I reached up and detached his hands from my face, "Hey, buddy, you don't need to worry about that stuff. I forgive you."

"Hey, Val! You want some food?" Natsu called, "I don't usually do this, but I'm willing to share!"

Val smiled for a second and then determinedly sunk back into his foul and self-loathing mood, "No!"

Natsu got up and strode over to Val. He patted Val's head, "Feeling as miserable as I am?"

Val looked up, "Huh?"

Natsu looked at me and smiled. He took Val from my arms and carried him a few feet away. Val just stared at Natsu expectantly. "I don't know if you remember, but I couldn't do anything either," Natsu whispered as if it were a secret between only the two of them. I smiled to myself, watching the two having a stealthy conversation.

"But you did do something," Val pointed out.

"No, I didn't. When that scary lady took Lucy, I just stood there. I didn't know how I could help Lucy. So don't beat yourself up…I'm just as useless as you are," Natsu said, smiling at Val. Val grinned a little, "Can I have that food that you were talking about?"

"Nope…sorry, that opportunity passed you by. It's all mine now," Natsu said teasingly.

"What?! But you said—" Val began, grabbing Natsu's shirt tightly.

"Yeah, I did. And you know what you said? You said 'no'. It was just like that, except it was louder." Natsu was grinning now. Val grabbed his face, "I'll take your food!"

"Oh yeah? Can you?" Natsu taunted. Val grinned widely and shot out of Natsu' arms. I laughed as they played together. Val occasionally managed to snag a bit of food. Most of the time Natsu intercepted his attempts, but Val was quick.

"Oi! Natsu! Just give the kid some food!" Gray shouted, "You're interrupting my digestion!"

"Tell your digestion that it can suck it!" Natsu called back, busy with guarding his food from Val's tiny and mischievous hands.

"I'm fine with you playing as long as you don't ruin my cake or destroy anything!" Erza called. I laughed, "I wouldn't count on that happen—"

Natsu lost his balance and landed on the picnic table everyone was eating at. He slammed into it and it snapped in half, sending food flying. Erza growled, what used to be her cake sliding down the side of her face and splatting onto the remnants of the picnic table. Gray spat out a piece of lettuce and it landed beside Natsu who was splayed out in the center of the pile of different foods. He was filthy. Val laughed out loud, "You're so lame, Natsu!"

"I am _not _lame!" Natsu protested, waving a cake-covered fist in the air.

I facepalmed, "How did I just _know _that this was going to happen?"

"Naaaaatsuuuuuuuu," Erza roared, standing up, "You decimated my pastry!" I could practically see her evil aura whirling around her.

"Shit, run for it!" Natsu yelled. He sat up and launched out of the pile of food. He started running, Gray, Val, and I right on his heels. Erza charged after us.

"This is all your fault Natsu!" Gray shouted as when ran from certain death.

"Why are you so stupid, Natsu!?" I yelled.

"It was Val's fault!" he called back.

"Whaaaat?" Val asked, flying beside me. He lunged for Natsu and latched onto his head, "Take that back!"

Natsu tried to pry Val off of his face, but Val was a tough little guy. He held on tight. Natsu shouted something, but Val's body muffled his voice.

"Wait, Natsu that's a—" I shouted right before he sprinted smack into a tree. I skidded to a stop, "Tree…"

He moaned on the ground, Val detaching himself and laughing hysterically. He rolled around on the ground, clutching his stomach. "Laugh it up, Val. That was all your fault," Natsu groaned. When he opened his eyes he screamed like a little girl and I couldn't help but laugh. Erza was standing over him, her arms grossed over her plated chest and her fingers tapping her arm repetitively, "Natsu, prepare to pay the consequences!"

His eyes went wide and he looked at me desperately. I shrugged as if to say: you did this to yourself, pal.

* * *

><p>Val was fast asleep, passed out on Natsu's lap. Natsu's arm rested on Val's shoulder protectively. "You know, he hasn't been able to fall asleep with anyone but me thus far," I huffed.<p>

Gray and Erza were passed out next to each other. Natsu and I were leaning against a log, being warmed by the fire we'd started earlier.

"Jealous?" Natsu asked.

I smiled, "No. I guess he likes you, though."

Natsu smiled, "I hope so. He's a pretty cool kid."

I looked at Val. His stomach expanded with each breath, slowly and rhythmically. He was curled up in Natsu's arms, a tiny smile on his lips. He mumbled something quietly and then pulled Natsu' arms closer. Natsu looked down and Val and grinned. Natsu's eyes were filled with fondness.

"You're pretty adorable together," I said, not realizing that I'd said it aloud.

Natsu looked up, grinning happily, "You think I'm cute?"

"I-I never said that!" I protested a little louder than I intended. Gray stirred in his sleep.

"Shush!" Natsu hissed.

"Sorry," I whispered. I sighed deeply and stared at the fire. I watched the flames flicker and then raised my chin. My eyes followed a spark as it drifted up in the night air, blending in with the stars and then disappearing.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Natsu asked. I lazily looked at him, yawning and stretching my arms out.

"I've always liked the stars," I whispered. I let my head slump against his strong shoulder and closed my eyes. I immediately drifted to sleep, surrounded by Natsu's warmth and familiar smell.

I could have sworn I heard him whisper, "I wasn't talking about the stars."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, that was adorable. What did Natsu mean? I think you can figure it out. *winkwink* Please don't forget to leave me your splendiferous reviews! Thanks. **


	8. Lovebirds

_~Val~_

I woke up feeling warm and happy. I smiled, my eyes still closed. I took in my surroundings without even being fully awake. I heard birds chirping and wind rustling leaves. I smelled campfire smoke and flowers. I started to drift back to myself. I lazily opened my eyes and lifting my head. I blinked a few times to ward off the sleep that I'd just been immersed in.

When my vision finally came into focus I saw something that I found strangely comforting. Lucy was asleep. I realized that she was the source of the flower smell. I must have been sleeping on her. She was smiling a little in her sleep, which I liked. I liked it a lot when Lucy was happy. I leaned forward and gently kissed her cheek. She mumbled a little in her sleep and shifted her position.

Speaking of her position, I soon realized that she was asleep on Natsu. His chest was expanding and collapsing slowly. Lucy's head moved a bit with each of his breaths. I was sitting in between them, their bodies warming me up nicely. Their heads were propped against each other, smiles on both of their faces. Their hands barely touched, a couple of their fingers intertwined.

I smiled a little. At first I'd disliked Natsu. He seemed dumb and over-the-top in about every category that it's bad to be over-the-top in. For example, destroying everything in sight and inhaling food like it was oxygen were two of those categories. Now, though, I saw him differently. When he'd told me that he wasn't able to do anything, just like me, I saw something in his eyes. I could see that he truly cared for Lucy. He was just as devastated as me that he couldn't save her. He was the same as me, except I saw Lucy look at him differently from how she looked at me.

My ears perked up and I glanced around our makeshift campsite nervously. I stumbled to my feet, careful not to wake the others up in case it wasn't anything important. I didn't want to disturb their sleep. We had a big day ahead of us: we were going to save O.

That's when I heard the noise again. I was certain this time. I'd heard a hissing sound. _It's them, it's them! Should we tell the Lady? No, let's just take them!_

My eyes went wide as a shadow shot out from behind a tree. It hurled towards me, it's voice hissing and spitting. "Natsu!" I screamed. I fell on my back and the shadow descended on me. I held up my hand to protect myself knowing it wouldn't work. I felt a blast of heat on my face and curled up into a ball. The loud screeches of the shadows were followed by silence.

"Val?" I heard a voice say. I peeked through my fingers and saw Natsu standing over me. He knelt down and smiled, "You're safe now."

I whimpered and flew into his chest with a thump. He fell backwards and I clung to his neck.

"Hey, you ok? You're not hurt, right?" Natsu asked.

I nodded and felt tears leak out of my eyes. Seeing those shadows brought back memories that I didn't want to recall. Natsu patted my back as he pushed himself upright. "I miss O," I squeaked, clinging to him tighter.

"You'll see him soon," Lucy said, seemingly pushing past her rude awakening.

I nodded and reached for her. She took me from Natsu's arms and I curled up in her lap. I loved the feeling of her arms around me, so it calmed me down a bit. I stopped crying.

"So, you still like Lucy better, eh?" Natsu pointed out.

"Yeah," I said, kissing her cheek again.

"Aww," Lucy said, kissing me back. I closed one eye as her lips met my cheek.

Natsu frowned. I smiled a little and giggled, "You're just unhappy because you don't get to kiss her!"

Natsu's face turned red, "I-I-I…"

I laughed again, "I was right! You love Lucy!"

"What do you know about love!?" Natsu demanded. I opened my mouth to say something, but couldn't think of anything. I closed my mouth again. Natsu grinned contentedly, "Didn't think so…"

I looked up at Lucy who'd been silent throughout our whole exchange, "Lucy?" I reached up and touched her forehead, "Your face is hot. Are you sick?"

She shook her head, "No." She stood up and carried me over to where Gray and Erza were sleeping. She set me down. I looked at her again and saw that her face was back to normal. I let my worry fall away.

"How are they still sleeping after all that?" Lucy asked.

I leaned over Gray and poked his face. He didn't even twitch. I touched Lucy's shoulder and looked up at her, "I think they're dead."

"Who died?!" Gray shouted, bolting upright. I screamed and jumped onto Lucy who toppled over and knocked heads with Gray. Lucy groaned. "I'm so sorry!" I cried, touching Lucy's head.

"Don't be. It was Gray's fault for scaring you," she mumbled, opening her eyes again.

I glared at Gray. "Don't look at me like that. It was an accident!" he said defensively. It only made me glare harder.

"It's alright. Blame Gray. He deserves some karma for always getting in those annoying fights," Erza said calmly, sitting up and yawning.

"Hey, Natsu also gets into those fights!" Gray protested.

"But we can't blame Natsu. He was just sitting over there the entire time," Lucy said, gesturing to where Natsu was sitting.

"I think his aura can destroy things and cause mischief without him even having to lift a finger," Gray pointed out.

Lucy and Erza nodded in unison. "That's possible," Lucy said, seriously believing it.

I walked over to where Natsu was. It struck me as strange that he hadn't yelled in outrage that they were blaming him for being present. When I got closer I noticed something strange. He was just sitting there like he was unconscious, yet he stayed upright. He was staring into space. "Natsu?" I waved my hand in front of his eyes. He didn't blink.

I poked his cheek. He didn't move. I turned, "Lucy, there's something wrong with Natsu!" She stood up to join me, but before she arrived at my side Natsu suddenly sparked to life.

"Val! We need to talk!" Natsu yelled, bolting upright. He scooped me up and slung me over his shoulder, bolting away from our campsite. I screamed for help, reaching for Lucy as my kidnapper made away with me.

"Wait, Natsu! Where are you taking him?" Lucy called after us.

"We're just going to have a little chat!" Natsu shouted back.

"Luuuuuucyyyyy! Help meeee!" I cried as she disappeared into the distance. _Need help, kid? _I shook my head in reply to my counterpart's question. I doubted that Natsu would actually hurt me. I was more crying for help because I wanted to stay with Lucy. When Natsu finally stopped running and set me down on the ground I tapped my foot impatiently.

Natsu knelt beside me and stayed silent. "Well?" I demanded, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't sass me," Natsu said, seeming a little preoccupied.

"Why'd you abduct me?" I asked, dropping my arms to my sides. I'd already forgiven him. Natsu plopped down beside me and pulled me onto his lap.

"Alright, I'm going to ask you a question. You can't laugh, ok?" he said, looking down at me.

"Is it going to be funny? If it's funny I can't guarantee I won't laugh," I said, looking him in the eye.

"That's harsh," Natsu said, frowning.

"I'm just telling it like it is," I said, nodding and crossing my arms.

"Why does it seem like you've turned into a reluctant pre-teen?" Natsu asked.

"Is that the question you wanted to ask me?"

"No."

I stared at him, waiting. He didn't speak. "So what is the question?" I asked, snapping the silence into tiny, little pieces intentionally.

"Do you think Lucy likes me? Answer honestly!" he said, his words rushing out of his mouth. He squeezed his eyes shut as if to brace for my answer.

"Yes," I replied without hesitation.

His eyes snapped open, "Really?"

"Yeah, but she likes me more," I said, grinning and nodding my head.

Natsu frowned, "That's not what I meant."

"What do you mean, then?" I asked, staring at him curiously. _He means 'like' and in 'love', Lil' Me. _

"You mean love?" I asked, wondering if the elder me was correct.

"Yes, I mean love," Natsu said, looking nervous. Older me: your statement has been confirmed.

"You love Lucy?" I asked. His face turned red and he nodded. "Is that why you want to kiss her?" I asked.

Natsu reeled back and I tumbled off of his lap, "What was that for?"

"I never said I wanted to kiss her! How did you know?" Natsu yelled.

"Because you did say you wanted to kiss her," I remarked, sitting up.

"I did?"

"Yes."

"Does she want to kiss me?"

"I don't know."

"Are you lying to me?"

"No."

"Guys? We need to get going!" Lucy called, pushing past an overgrown bush.

Natsu flinched, "She found us?"

"Lucy!" I yelled, bolting towards her. I leapt into her arms and she grunted as I smacked into her chest.

"I missed you, too," Lucy said, smiling. She looked up, "Natsu, come on! We aren't about to leave you behind!"

Natsu stood up, brushing off his pants and grinning, "Sure. Coming." He bounded up to us. Lucy, carrying me, walked beside Natsu. A thought popped into my head. I looked up at Lucy and touched her cheek lightly to get her attention. She looked at me, "What is it?"

"Do you want to kiss Natsu?" I asked. Her eyes went wide and she nearly dropped me. Her face turned red again.

"What?!" Lucy screamed, "Natsu, what did you talk to him about?!"

Natsu's hands flew up in surrender, "Nothing!"

"Well, do you?" I insisted, leaning forward. Her face turned even redder. I looked at Natsu, "I think she wants to kiss you." I nodded. Natsu looked petrified and I wondered why.

"I never said that!" Lucy shouted, shoving me into Natsu's arms and stomping away. Sticks cracked under her feet and she mumbled to herself. I looked at Natsu, "Did I do something wrong?"

He shook his head and patted mine, "Nope. It was my fault." He started after Lucy, still carrying me in his arms.

"Yeah, because 'his aura can destroy things and cause mischief without him even having to lift a finger'!" I recited, repeating Gray's statement word for word.

Natsu frowned, "Who said that?"

"Gray did," I replied, resting my head on Natsu's chest.

"Remind me to beat him up when we get back, ok?" Natsu requested.

I grinned and wrapped my arms around his neck, "Ok."

_What an annoying guy_, older me said in my head. I frowned, "I like him."

"Like who?" Natsu asked.

"I'm not talking to you," I said, holding up my hand to silence him.

_He's an annoying buffoon. _I looked at Natsu, "He says you're an annoying buffoon."

"Did Gray say that?" Natsu demanded, looking offended.

"No, Val did," I said. _Oh, tell him I think he's a daft ignoramus! That's a good one. _

"He says you're a daft iganmus," I said, nodding. Then on second thought, "What's an iganmus?" _I said ignoramus, not iganmus. _

"Oh, he said ig-nor-a-mus," I said, enunciating each syllable, "What's an ignoramus?"

Natsu shrugged, "Tell him I think he's…" Natsu's voice left off as he tried to think of a good insult. "…mean…"

I laughed and so did the older me. "Don't laugh!" Natsu shouted.

"Sorry, I just think you're dumb, too," I said, still giggling. Natsu frowned and then ruffled my hair, "Yeah, guess so."

I smiled and let my head fall against his shoulder. I closed my eyes. I whispered one thing before I fell asleep, "But, if you can make Lucy happy, I think it's ok."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This chapter was pretty fun. Val is so cute and innocent. Anyway, don't forget to leave me a wondrous review, please!  
>PS<br>Sorry I didn't update yesterday. I don't really have an excuse. I guess you can let your little imaginations run wild. Maybe I was too busy completing a top-secret mission for the CIA in which I had to avoid being shot. Maybe my absence was due to my being trapped inside of the stomach of a humpback whale. Maybe I was occupied by the sudden desire to go skydiving that struck me after I last updated, which led, of course, to some hardcore plane-jumping. Maybe I just forgot. Who knows, right? Maybe if I get enough reviews I won't ride on the back of a lion through NYC listening to Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO...just maybe then the next update'll come quicker. If you don't want me to risk my life riding a lion and listening to LMFAO, leave a review. Dead serious, (Well, I might end up that way if I attempt to ride a lion). **


	9. Thief Soul

**A/N: I _just _realized that I uploaded the wrong document/chapter a while ago. I've corrected my mistake and I'm REALLY sorry for those of you who got all excited because I posted a new chapter and then went through hardcore deja vu! Apologies! Don't murder me! Anyways...here's the _real _new chapter. *facepalm* Gosh, get it together, me! Sorry again and read on!  
>PS<br>As an apology gift, the next chapter will be extra long!**

* * *

><p><em>~Lucy~<em>

"Alright, their guild is not that far away. We can probably reach it today. We'd get there around nightfall," Erza said, nodding to herself.

"Are you sure we shouldn't wait until tomorrow?" Gray asked, "I'm just saying…I mean, we'll be tired from traveling all that time, won't we?"

"Of course we have to do it today!" Natsu protested, "Val's friend is in danger. We can't just leave him there for longer because we're a little tired."

"I agree," I said, raising my hand and then wrapping my arm back around Val.

"I want to get to Val as soon as possible. I owe him that much, don't I?" Val said, directing his question to no one in particular.

I smiled, "That's just what friends are for, Val." He nodded and let his head fall back against my chest. He'd been asleep when Natsu got back, only barely waking up when I took him from Natsu's arms. He was only barely conscious now.

"You ok, Val?" I asked. His eyes drooped, "I'm just sleepy. I'm fine." I was a little worried, but he _had _been through a lot in the past few days. I could understand why he would be exhausted.

"Shall we go, then?" I asked, "We're just wasting time sitting standing around here and talking."

"I don't see why not," Erza replied. She smiled at Val and then grabbed her abnormally enormous amount of luggage.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Luce," Natsu said, bounding up beside me. I shushed him and his eyes went wide. He nodded when he saw that Val was fast asleep.<p>

"Can I ask you something, Luce?" Natsu asked, his voice hushed so that he wouldn't wake Val up. I nodded, wondering what in the world Natsu was going to ask me about.

He looked a little nervous. "When we get there, can you…not die?"

I scoffed, "What?"

Natsu ran his fingers through his hair. It was his nervous habit. I narrowed my eyes, but he didn't meet them. "I just worry…" he said, his voice trailing off. He hesitated for a moment, a stick crunching beneath one of his feet, "I mean…back at the café, when you were…" His voice cracked. I raised my eyebrows. Natsu's voice cracked? Did I hear that right?

"I was just…really _scared_," I said, his voice lowering so that I could barely hear it. Natsu was scared? Natsu was never scared. Something strange was happening with him and I wasn't sure what it was.

"Scared? I thought you never got scared," I said, shooting him my best _yeah right _look.

His eyes suddenly met mine, "It's different!" I flinched at his voice and Val raising his head.

I stared at Natsu, in shock. I'd stopped walking. I only snapped out of it when Val waved his hand in front of my face, "Lucy? Are you alive?"

I nodded, still a little surprised. Natsu just…_yelled _at me. He'd never done that before. Sure, I'd seen him yell before, but this was strange. He was really angry.

"Natsu?" I squeaked. I felt a little like crying, but held my tears in. I didn't know why Natsu yelling at me had made me so upset, but I was tougher than tears. I wasn't about to let my weakness show.

"Just…don't die, ok?" he said, looking away from me. He turned and ran ahead. I stared after him, Val snug in my arms.

"Lucy, are you ok?" Val asked, looking worried. His eyes were a little watery. I nodded, "Don't worry about me, alright? I'm tough."

Val sniffed a little and then nodded, "Alright." He almost immediately fell back asleep.

"That was a lie, wasn't it?" Gray asked, walking up beside me. I glanced at Natsu who was a long way ahead of us. He looked like an ant. I guess he didn't want to be close to me right now. I looked back at Gray, who was just walking beside me. He wasn't pressuring me at all, which was nice. It made me open up a bit. I took a deep breath and let it out, "Yeah."

"Need me to beat him for you?" Gray asked.

I smiled, "Not necessary. Thanks for the offer, though."

"What was he angry about?" Erza asked, walking on the other side of me.

"I'm not really sure. He told me not to die," I said, feeling puzzled.

Gray grinned, "Ooooooh."

My head whipped towards him, "What?"

"I see. So _that's _it," Erza said, nodding in understanding.

"Did you make fun of him?" Gray asked.

"No…" I said, then realized that I'd mentioned that he was afraid. "Maybe I did?" I said, furrowing my brow.

"That's makes sense, then," Erza muttered.

Gray patted my shoulder, "Just know that it's not your fault. He's just…got something on his mind, is all."

I nodded hesitantly, "Ok?" We kept walking for a long time, completely silent. I found myself glancing at Natsu. Every time I did, Gray and Erza both grinned not so subtly. I can't say it didn't confuse me more.

* * *

><p><em>~Natsu~<em>

_What have I done!? _I yelled at Lucy! Things couldn't get worse. What if she hated me now? I probably couldn't live with myself. All these thoughts were spiraling around my head like a tornado as I practically sprinted away from her. I was horrified with myself. My three comrades talked for a little while and then fell silent. We walked separated from each other. I didn't like it. I was away from my friends. I wondered why I'd done this to myself. It wasn't like I could just walk back there and talk to Lucy. She'd look at me like I was crazy. Or, even worse, she might look at me with those terrifyingly angry eyes of hers. I didn't want that.

We traveled that way for a long time. My feet hurt a little, but I was used to walking a long way. I occasionally snuck a glance behind me and saw my friends all walking together. I took comfort in the fact that they were behind me, but felt like there was a wall between us. Once, Lucy caught me looking at her. She just stared back. We stared at each other for a while before a tiny smile graced her lips. My eyes went wide and I turned away. I felt my face heat up. _Damnit! Why can she do this to me with just a smile? _

I felt relief flood through me. Lucy didn't hate me. She'd smiled at me. That meant that she wasn't angry. I was glad. I started to feel a weight lift off of my shoulders as I walked. I took in a deep breath and let my eyes slide shut as I walked. I let my head slump backwards so that my face was pointing towards the sky. When I finally opened my eyes again, I saw that the sky was darkening. I hadn't realized it before, but it was almost twilight. I lowered my gaze from the sky—partially hidden behind the treetops of the forest we were traveling through—to the path ahead of me.

In the distance was a tiny light. It took me a minute to realize that the light marked the edge of the forest. I whirled around, "You guys see that?"

"See what?" Gray called back, squinting at the path. I waved for them to catch up and then sprinted forward. The light got brighter and brighter as I got closer to the edge of the forest. I finally burst out of the forest, skidding to a stop. It was a few seconds before the others caught up to me. I frowned as realization sunk in, "Oh. It's not the edge of the forest."

"Sometimes I question how you're such as idiot," Gray deadpanned.

"Thief Soul, the dark guild we're looking for, is _inside _the forest, Natsu," Erza said, staring me down.

"Oh, right," I said, grinning. Lucy laughed a little.

"What is this place?" Gray asked, looking out into what seemed like a large clearing. There was nothing in it, just tall, swaying grass.

"Who knows? Let's keep going. It's getting dark and we haven't found Thief Soul yet," I said, shrugging and starting to walk forward.

"Wait!" Val shouted. I froze immediately. He sounded serious.

"What is it, Val?" Lucy asked. Val looked down at her from where he was floating. He flew a little ways forward, slowly.

"Natsu, don't move," Val said, "You were about to walk into this." I opened my mouth to ask him what he was talking about, but shut it a few seconds later. Val reached out, his fingertip glowing, and touched the air. A shockwave of dark magic exploded around us, sending us flying. When I recovered I watched what looked like an invisible wall ripple and then shatter. Val turned to us, "See?"

I got to my feet immediately. Sitting in the center of the previously empty clearing was a giant, very sinister looking guildhall. The building seemed to be made of dark stone. Its windows were boarded up and some sort of cloth blew in the wind, skewered on one of the spikes that jutted out from the rooftop. I lit up my fists, knowing that we'd found it. This was Thief Soul. A giant guild emblem adorned the towering door. It was a black dagger that was shown stabbing a heart.

I tensed as the doors to the building creaked open. The inside seemed pitch black. Suddenly, someone stepped out of the building. "Welcome," she said, "It took you long enough, didn't it?"

I heard Val growl, "Ambrosia! Give me back Otto!"

She laughed lightly, her white teeth shining in the darkness. She was barely visible in the shadows of the guildhall. Her hair seemed to glow in what little light shone down from the sky. Most unnerving, though, were her eyes. They were clearly visible in the darkness, lighting up the darkness. A variety of differently colored eyes joined hers.

"Master, should we engage?" questioned a voice. It sounded strangely robotic and monotone.

Ambrosia's smiled was almost hidden by the shadows, "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Well, all right. On one exception, though: you leave Valaymier to me. My shadows would love to have a little feast, wouldn't you my pretties?"

I heard a chorus of hissing in response as darkness oozed out of the wide-open guild doors. They twisted about, curling in the air and wrapping around each other. _A feast! We're eating tonight! Mistress is so kind! I hope he tastes like chicken! _

I laughed at that last one. "Funny, is it? Well, you won't think it's so funny in a few seconds!" shouted the robotic voice. A figure shot out from the darkness, hurling towards me. I grinned as I saw a column of flame descend on me. I greedily gobbled it up and met the gaze of my attacker, grinning cockily, "Nice try."

Her eyes went wide…well, one of her eyes. The other was a red, glowing light, just like a robot. One of her arms was made of metal and so was half of her face. Her arm—the robotic one—was smoking. I assumed that was where the fire had come. "You can't burn the Fire Dragonslayer!" I shouted, launching myself towards her.

"Attack!" I heard Ambrosia scream, "Kill them! Don't touch Valaymier!"

I grinned. Fighting is what I love. Judging by how many people poured out of the gates, I was going to get plenty of it.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: The finale/epic ending will be coming up soon. Don't worry, it won't end in the next chapter. We've got _at least _two more. Don't forget to leave me a review telling me what you thought. Thanks! :)**


	10. Hugo

_~Val~_

I expected fear, but that wasn't what I felt. I was strangely calm. I stood there, staring at Ambrosia. I didn't move. My friends were fighting around me, battling fiercely against Ambrosia's guild. I watched as Ambrosia strode towards me, meeting her eyes. I saw a feline keenness in her eyes as she stalked towards me. She wasn't looking at anything but me, ignoring the battles that raged around her. Time seemed to slow down. I didn't hear anything but her footsteps. Hissing shadows whirled around her, curling around her pale arms, her waste, her legs, and even her neck.

I took a deep breath as she closed in. She knelt beside me. I was shaking a bit, but once I realized that I quickly stiffened. I didn't want to look weak in front of _her_. She smiled and took my face in her hands, "Are you scared?"

I glared at her, not saying anything. She stroked the side of my face, "I would understand it if you were. You are just a child, Hugo."

_ What is she talking about? _I didn't have an answer for him.

_Kid, let me take over from her. I can take her down. Do it, or your friends will die. _I nodded. I hadn't thought that Ambrosia would realize what I was trying to do. Just as I started to slip away from myself and let the older me slip in, Ambrosia slammed her hand against my chest.

I gasped and grasped her wrist, trying to pry her off of me. It didn't work. Somehow I was trapped in my body, unable to let Val take it. "You thought I'd just let you come out, Valaymier? I'd prefer to exterminate you the easy way. You may ask why I chose to put a curse on you all those years ago," she hissed in my ear, "It's because I wanted to torture you before you _died!_"

I struggled to breath, scratching at her pale skin. She didn't even wince. "Can't…breathe…" I wheezed.

Ambrosia smiled cruelly and then released me. I tried to sit up, but I was slammed down again. This time her hand was on my throat. "I wish I could look into your eyes, Valaymier, as you died slowly by my hands," she said, her eyes laughing, "But I prefer to do this the _painless _way. Of course, that painless will only apply to me. Your death will hurt."

"Val!" I heard Lucy scream. I painfully turned my head and saw Lucy running towards me. She had a whip in her hand and slashed out at anyone who got in her way. She sprinted as fast as she could. I watched helplessly as a member of Thief Soul knocked her to the side. She fell and engaged in a new battle. She looked exhausted already.

"Val, hang on!" I heard another voice call out. It was Natsu. He easily knocked one of the members out and turned towards me. He plowed through his enemies, determined to get to me. He broke into a run, charging Ambrosia. She didn't even have to look at him to release her shadows and send them flying towards Natsu. His eyes went wide as flames whirled around him. Soon, though, those flames were extinguished, vanishing behind a wall of shadows. When the darkness finally left, Natsu lay unconscious in the tall grass. I felt hot tears flow from my eyes, blinking to try and keep my vision focused. I fought as hard as I could, clinging desperately to consciousness.

My lungs felt like they were exploding. I'd gone too long without a breath. _Kid! She's got you trapped. Give in, and then I can help you! _I wasn't sure what he meant by give in. _Now, Kid! If you don't hurry you'll die! Let go! _It suddenly hit me: he meant for me to fall unconscious. I quickly consented, not fighting to stay awake any longer. The last thing I saw was the look on Ambrosia's face: surprise and then outrage. I smiled as I blacked out. She wasn't going to get the best of _me_.

* * *

><p><em>~Valaymier~<em>

I took the opening, seizing control of my body as he passed out. Sure, I felt bad about it, but that wasn't something to think about right now. I had to defeat Ambrosia, and quickly. My eyes snapped open as I requipped into my armor. I struck Ambrosia in the chest, sending her flying off of me. I flicked my tail back and forth as I walked towards her. I knelt beside Natsu, checking his pulse. I didn't like the guy, but that didn't mean I wanted him to die…I'm not that cruel.

I rose to my full height and stared at Ambrosia, "You would kill a child?"

"If it meant I could kill you, _yes_," she growled, getting to her feet again. Her arms were limp like those of a rag doll. I narrowed my eyes, feeling anger rise inside of me.

"He's just a kid!" I shouted, my spear appearing in my hand. It glowed brightly, piercing through the suffocating darkness.

"I don't care about that child. I just found him dying on the streets. I figured such filth was worthy of you!" she spat. That caught me off guard, "What did you say?"

Her eyes went wide as if she'd just realized what she'd said. They then hardened, becoming unreadable, "Valaymier, I will take everything you love away from you. Don't doubt me. I'm stronger than you think!"

"You aren't strong. You're weak! Using love as an excuse for _this_!" I shouted, gesturing to the battle that raged around us. That when I heard a deafening scream. It made me feel sick to my stomach. I flinched and whirled around. To my horror, I saw Lucy on her hands and knees, darkness whirling about her. Ambrosia's shadows were circling her, biting her and scratching her. I immediately flew towards her.

When I reached her, golden light flared up around me. The shadows squealed and writhed when my light his them. Lucy looked up, still cowering. When she saw me she smiled and reached for me. I knelt beside her and took her hand. "I knew you'd save me, Val," she breathed before she fell asleep. I wrapped my arms protectively around her, my light still engulfing us. I brushed her hair from her face and smiled. She was safe.

"No!" Ambrosia screeched. My head snapped up and my gaze hardened again, disguising the relief I felt that Lucy was safe in my arms again. "_She _shouldn't get your love! It belongs to me!"

She shot a series of shadows towards me, but the protective spell I'd cast just disintegrated them all. I stared at her, "Someone like _you _could never obtain my love."

A look of sheer insanity appeared on her face, "Why her?"

"Lucy is different from you. She's pure and good. You're just disgusting," I snarled. That did it. She lunged for me. Well, I thought she'd lunged for me. She'd actually directed her attack towards Lucy. I noticed just in time, barely able to cover Lucy's unconscious body with my own. I felt Ambrosia' darkness pierce my skin. I cried out as her hand dug into my chest. She smiled maniacally, her insanity gleaming in her eyes. I looked down and saw that her entire hand was inside my chest. Her pale wrist protruded vulgarly from my torso.

There was no blood, though. Darkness seemed to shimmer from where her hand pierced me. I felt her fingers moved around inside of me and gasped. I was still on my knees, so I didn't need to worry about staying upright. I felt her hand wrap around my heart. Her grip tightened and I felt unbearable pressure in my entire body. "What are you…doing to me?" I gasped; my arms hung limply at my sides.

"I could just take your heart," she whispered in my ear, her face inches from mine. I felt her pull a tiny bit and I cried out in pain. I was breathing hard now, which only made it that much more agonizing.

"It hurts, doesn't it? Having your heart taken," she whispered stroking my face with the hand that wasn't buried in my chest. I saw a smile creeping along her lips, "I suppose I'll do you a favor before I kill you. I just don't like the idea of ending you while you're still tainted." I felt her arm shift inside of me as she yanked her arm from my chest. I fell to the ground, shivering and sweating. I clutched my chest, still able to feel her presence inside of me. I squeezed my eyes shut and then opened them again. I rolled over onto my back weakly.

Ambrosia knelt beside me, sliding her hand along my chest, "I suppose you didn't know I could do that, yes? Well, I did warn you that I was stronger than you thought."

"Go to hell, Ambrosia," I spat, still breathing hard.

She laughed quietly, "I do love it when you say my name, Valaymier, but I have no intention of complying. If I did, I wouldn't be able to do _this!_" She raised her arms and brought it down towards me. My eyes went wide as her hand entered my skull. I couldn't move at all and her fingers touched my mind. She was grinning wickedly, "This might hurt…a lot."

That's when I felt her grasp something inside my head. She took hold of it and pulled. She ripped whatever it was out of my head. My entire essence became pain. I couldn't scream. I couldn't move. I could only lie there, drowning in anguish. My head pounded. I felt a cold hand turn my head to the side as my vision blurred. I saw a flash of blue and then Ambrosia's face loomed down close to mine. I felt her hair brush against my cheek.

"Say hello to Hugo," she whispered. My eyes slid shut as I gave into my suffering.

* * *

><p><em>~Gray~<em>

My ribs ached. Well, ached isn't the right word. It was more like a burning, stabbing, unspeakably excruciating sensation. I let out a low moan, trying not to breath quickly and worsen my pain. I figured that my ribs were probably broken. I vaguely remembered being struck in the chest by something. It all happened so quickly that I didn't have time to process what it had been. I couldn't remember anything after that.

I tried to open my eyes, but they felt like they were glued shut. I groaned again, trying to stay awake. I didn't even try to move my body. I figured that would hurt more than breathing, (which felt not unlike how I imagined the aftereffects of being hit by a train felt like). I focused on anything other than my pain. By doing so, I realized that someone was talking.

It took me a moment to understand what they were saying. "Aw, are you tired?" cooed a voice, which sounded like Ambrosia.

"I hate you," replied a weak voice. That one was Val—the older and more perverted one.

"Oh, not nearly as much as I hate you." Her voice was cheerful, yet carried a spiteful undertone.

"Why can't I move?" Val asked exhaustedly.

"You've only just been freed from my 'curse'. It'll be a while before you can move again…" I summoned my strength and cracked my eyes open. What I saw disgusted me. Val's eyes were closed. He was sweating and shaking violently. That wouldn't have been so bad if his head wasn't resting in Ambrosia's lap. Perhaps the creepiest thing, though, was the fact that Ambrosia had removed Val's shirt. Her thin fingers were gliding along Val's chest.

Ambrosia was sitting on what looked like a throne. It was a dark black color and reminded me of the shadows that were lurking all around the room, circling around it as if biding their time until their master's next command. Val was sprawled out beside her, his face darkened due to the dimness of the room. I figured that this was the inside of the guildhall. I wondered why there weren't any other members here, but didn't give much thought to the question. I figured it had something to do with Ambrosia's cruel nature: she must have selfishly desired to keep Val to herself. I would have shivered if I didn't know that it would hurt like hell.

She smiled down at him, "If I were you I would worry about the child more. You're strong. Even after binding you two together, you didn't weaken. That's because you've been surviving, thriving, off of his heart."

"I don't…understand," Val breathed.

Ambrosia ran her fingers through Val's long hair, "I chose that child because he has a strong heart. I knew that the curse would break eventually. No one's heart lasts forever. What I didn't expect was that his heart would last so long, though. He must have found something that he loved very much." She shrugged, "It's none of my concern. He'll probably die anyway."

Val's eyes fluttered open, beads of sweat on his eyelashes, "He won't die. He's stronger than you. He's stronger than me."

Ambrosia laughed out loud, "He's simply a child! He'll die within the hour!"

"No!" Val managed to shout, "You've underestimated him!" I wasn't sure who this 'him' they were talking about was. I was confused.

"Being trapped in a Hugo's body all these years doesn't make you hate him?"

"I could never hate him," Val said, letting his eyes slide closed again.

"I never expected him to begin to look like you. I suppose that plan was flawed, yes? Then again, I also never expected him to last so long. Maybe if he'd died earlier he wouldn't have started to resemble you."

"Don't talk about him like that. He's like a brother to me," Val breathed.

"A brother!? How long have you known him? A week?" she shouted, outraged.

"You wouldn't understand."

Ambrosia's face grew sober, "For a moment there I wished that I'd met _this _Valaymier and fallen in love with _him _instead of you."

Val scoffed, "You don't love me."

Ambrosia looked sad. Her eyes seemed empty. When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet, "I think you'd be surprised how much I loved you."

Val's eyes opened and he stared at her. I stared at her too. There was a long silence. That's when the thought hit me. Where were the others? I turned my head. It felt heavy. I saw Natsu passed out on top of Erza. I wondered how Thief Soul had managed to best Erza _and _Natsu, but then thought better of it. They had Ambrosia. Considering what I'd seen of the dark wizard, she was more powerful than all of us combined, which only goes to show how strong Val was.

I scanned the room and then realized something. My side felt warm. I glanced down at my chest and saw Lucy there. No wonder my most likely broken ribs were hurting so much. Of course, she was on the uninjured side, but it still made it harder for me to breath easily. She was fast asleep. When I noticed the scratches and bruises all over her I felt concern rise up inside of me. She was one of my best friends, and seeing her like this hurt. I wanted to protect her, and I'd failed. I was too focused on my own fights, unable to help her when she needed me. I was angry with myself for that, but I was glad that she was still breathing.

I shifted my arm painfully and took her hand. I weakly squeezed it and her eyes drifted open. Her eyes weren't focused on anything. She was staring forward. Soon, when I squeezed her hand again, her gaze shifted to me. I smiled. She smiled back weakly.

"Where are we?" she whispered, trying to sit up.

"Don't move," I replied, "We're in the Thief Soul guildhall." Her eyes went wide, "What happened?"

"I'm not sure. I just woke up here. I'm pretty sure we were beaten pretty badly, though."

She nodded against my chest and I winced, "Try not to move, ok? I think my ribs are broken."

"Oh…sorry," she whispered back. She glanced up to where Ambrosia and Val were. I saw horror appear on her face. I tightened my grip on her hand, "Don't move, Lucy."

"But…Val is…" she squeaked. Something caught my eye. Lying a few feet away was a young boy. His eyes were closed and his breath was labored. Medium length, light blue hair fell over his eyes. He was dirty and wearing rags. I nudged Lucy, "Who's that kid?"

Lucy stared over at where the child was lying, "I don't know…" She slowly began to move so as not to draw Ambrosia's attention. "Where are you going? Stop," I hissed.

She shook her head, "No. I need to help him. I don't know why, but he seems familiar. It's like I recognize him. I have to go to him." That's when it hit me. Why else would Lucy recognize that boy? The younger Val, the one we came to love so much, wasn't just a simple curse. He was a real person. 'Binding you together' 'I chose that child because he had a strong heart'

It all made sense now. That innocent and pure child that had stumbled into our guildhall that day was more than a curse. He was unique. He was his own person. He wasn't Val…and he was passed out a few feet away from me.

Worst of all: he might be dying.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Don't worry, guys! This is _so not _a tragedy! Plus, I'm too in love with Val/Hugo to actually let him go. He's too precious to my heart. Ok, so that was a little weird, but basically all you have to know is that I won't kill him. That last line was only from Gray's POV. I know I probably scared those of you who are in love with Val/Hugo, but don't FTFO. As promised, I tried to make this chapter a little longer. If I left you a little confused, don't worry about it. I plan on explaining more in the next chapter. Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a review! :)**


	11. Light-Filled Darkness

_~Valaymier~_

I felt pretty horrible. I could barely move and I was shivering and sweating. I tried to distance myself from Ambrosia as she ran her hands along my chest, but I could barely keep my eyes open. Taking the 'curse' off of me had really taken a toll. Thoughts of the kid, Hugo, were circling around my head. Ambrosia had said that I'd been living off of his heart. If that really was the truth, I didn't want to face it. If I had been slowly sucking the life from him, I would hate myself for it. I pushed the thought aside. I couldn't trust a word that came out of Ambrosia's mouth.

"I'm sorry," I breathed. She wove her fingers through my hair.

"Sorry?" she asked. I cracked my eyes open and looked up at her. Her hair fell down around her face. Her eyes were a bit angry, but also curious. It was easy to tell how she'd caught my attention all those years ago, but after finding out he truth about her, what I was about to do next disgusted me. Even so, I knew I had to go through with it. Right now it was my only chance. I struggled to raise my arm and touch the side of her face gently. At first she seemed surprised, but then she relaxed and closed her eyes. She placed her hand over mine without hesitation.

"All those years ago…when I left you…I'm sorry," I said quietly, struggling to keep my voice level so as not to give away the fact that I was deceiving her.

"Why did you leave me there. When I woke up you couldn't imagine how happy I was. I thought I'd finally found the person that I would spend the rest of my life with…but then you were gone," she whimpered. I winced, not at my pain but at hers. I hadn't realized that she was that serious. I'd really hurt her. Of course, that pity only lasted a few seconds before I spoke again.

"I had to," I whispered. She opened her eyes, a tear sliding down her cheek. "I'm sorry. I didn't have a choice," I whispered, sliding my thumb against her cheek. I tried to sit up, but it didn't work. To my good fortune, she realized what I was trying to do. She leaned down and kissed me gently. I was disgusted on the inside, but didn't let it show. Her mouth moved against mine. When she broke away her face hovered above mine. I stared into her eyes, "Please? I promise I won't leave you again. I'll be with you forever."

She nodded, more tears falling from her cheek. One of them landed on my lips and I tasted salt. She placed a hand gently on my chest and I felt my magic return to me. I sighed in relief as I stopped shivering. I slowly eased myself upright and then turned to her. I looked her in the eyes and smiled. She smiled back and leaned against me. I was surprised that she'd trusted me. On second though, I figured she wasn't really in her right mind, which could have led to her willingness to place her trust in me.

"Val, what are you doing?!" Natsu shouted. I looked up immediately. "You idiot!" I shouted back. Ambrosia stood up and started walking down the stairs. I reached out and grabbed her wrist. She paused and looked at me, "You care for them?"

I didn't say anything, just looked her in the eye. Her eyes hardened, "It's alright. I'll free your heart from them. That way you can be happy with me and me alone," she whispered, turning back to Natsu. I released her hand. I couldn't blow my cover now. If she figured out that I was lying to her, she'd be even angrier. I had to get close to her to deal the final blow.

"What are you doing, Val? I thought you were with us!" Gray shouted and then winced. I stared at him and then glanced to Lucy. She was looking at me, her eyes sorrowful. I felt a pang of pain in my heart. She thought I was betraying her. She probably hated me right now. I stared into her eyes, willing her to understand that I wasn't going to leave her. I would never hurt Lucy.

I glanced down to her arms and saw a blue-headed boy lying there. Hugo. I tore my gaze away from him and back up to Lucy. Her eyes were wide and then she forced her face to go slack. She nodded slightly, almost unnoticeably. I forced myself to look away from her and stared at Ambrosia. She hadn't noticed Lucy and my exchange, and I was glad for that. I stood in place, tensed as Erza shouted at me, "How could you betray your friends like this?!" I stared at her, my face unmoving, "Friends? I don't have friends."

Ambrosia laughed and strode over to me. She kissed me again and I forced my body to stay relaxed. She pulled away and turned to where Natsu and Erza were. They were still on the ground, no doubt too damaged to stand. Ambrosia knelt beside Natsu, taking his chin in her hands. She smiled as tiny shadows crept from her fingers and slid across Natsu's face. I watched in horror as they crept into his mouth and eyes. Almost immediately his eyes turned completely black. I set my jaw, resisting the urge to surge forward and put a stop to this. Ambrosia released Natsu and stood. Natsu slowly rose to his feet. He raised his head and opened his eyes. I stared at him. The whites of his eyes had faded to black.

"Now, my pet. How about you attack…" Ambrosia cooed, stroking Natsu's chest. She glanced at the others and her eyes narrowed on me, "Him."

"Wait, what?" I asked as Natsu's head turned towards me.

"Consider this a _test_. If you kill him, I'll trust you," she said, smiling and walking back to her throne. She sat down and crossed her legs, staring at me and grinning. Her catlike eyes narrowed and I clenched my jaw, "_Fine_."

I turned to Natsu. He charged me and I knocked him aside easily. Even with Ambrosia's magic empowering him, he was still much weaker than I was at full power. When Ambrosia had returned my magic to me, I'd come back strong as ever. This was going to be easy. I would do anything to kill Ambrosia. If I had to do this, I wouldn't hesitate. Natsu stood again, his neck cracked as he tilted his head to one side. He charged me again, brilliant flames whirling around him. I caught his fist and slammed him to the ground. He cried out and a thin line of blood dripped from the side of his mouth.

I knelt down over him, grinding my knee into his chest. I pressed my palm to his chest and whispered the words of a spell. He screamed and grasped at my wrist. I whispered a few words into his ear. It seemed that he didn't hear me. I eased off of him, getting to my feet.

"V-Val?" Lucy whimpered. I looked at her, forcing my eyes to remain cold and menacing. Ambrosia clapped, "Nicely done, Valaymier! That was entertaining."

"You bastard!" Erza screamed. She launched at me, requipping in mid air. I was ready for this, though. I backhanded her and she fell to the ground, panting. "Don't, Erza," I growled, willing her to see the truth. She didn't. I looked over to Lucy who had tears streaming down her face. I cursed silently. She'd misunderstood. I looked down at Natsu who lay limply at my feet. He looked pale. I felt a sinking feeling arise in my chest and looked to Ambrosia.

"Satisfied?" I asked, walking towards her. Her arms snaked around my neck and she pulled my lips down to meet hers. That was her answer. I'd gained her trust. I pulled her close to me, wrapping my arms around her. I heard Lucy crying and Gray shouting something at me. I ignored it. I had to focus. I slid my hands up her body, higher and higher. I placed my right hand over her chest. I pulled away and looked her in the eye, leaving my hand over her heart. It was her most vulnerable spot. I knew that truth, at least.

"Goodbye," I whispered. Her eyes went wide as she realized what I was going to do. She realized it too late, though. I released a powerful shockwave of my magic directly into her heart. This wasn't some shadow copy of her. She was vulnerable and I took advantage of it. Because I'd gained her acceptance, her trust, and her heart had opened up to me, I was able to slip my magic inside. She gasped as her black heart filled up with my light. She fell to her knees and let her head fall against my shoulder. I withdrew my hand and placed one hand on either side of her face.

A tear slid down from the corner of her eye, "Thank you." I nodded. Her entire body began to shine. Soon, the light coming from her was so brilliant that I had to look away. When the darkness crept back around the room, Ambrosia was gone. I knew that this time, she wouldn't be coming back. I stood, clenching my hands into fists. I turned to my friends and walked down the steps. Erza, Gray, and Lucy were all staring at me. Natsu was still lying at the foot of the throne where he'd fallen. I walked over to him and kicked him, "You can get up now, idiot." I'd told him to stay down, and I guess he _had _heard me after all.

He bolted upright, "What!? What happened!?"

I offered him my hand, "Not much." He took it and I hauled him to his feet. I nodded and turned to the others, "I suppose I owe you an explanation?"

"Is she dead?" Gray asked, still flat on his back. I felt sadness creep up in the depths of my heart, "She's gone."

"Is Natsu…_not _dead?" Erza asked.

"Wait, why would I be dead?" Natsu asked, grinning.

"I might not like the guy, but I wouldn't kill him," I said, sounding offended.

"Hey!" Natsu shouted, punching my arm. I laughed.

Lucy shakily got to her feet, "N-Natsu?"

Natsu looked to her and smiled, "I promise I'm not dea—" he began. He was cut off as he grunted when Lucy slammed into him. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, sobbing. Natsu's face turned red, but then he returned the hug.

"He was possessed. All I did was remove the shadow from him…then he passed out like a wimp," I growled, turning away from their embrace.

I felt someone tap my arm, "Are you alright?" Lucy was looking up at me, tears in her eyes.

I took a deep breath, "I'm alright." I didn't sound convincing. I sighed and turned to walk towards Gray. I knelt beside him, "Don't move."

"Wait, what are you going to d—" he started. I pressed a hand against his broken ribs and released a bit of my magic. He clenched his jaw in pain as I healed him. When I withdrew my hand he sat up, "Thanks?"

I nodded silently and stood. I walked over to the others and helped them also. They each nodded at me. My mind was a little distracted. I was moving like a robot. I thought of all those years ago when I'd spent a night with Ambrosia. Now she was gone. I'd killed her. I closed my eyes and turned to the last person I the room. I knelt beside him and picked him up in my arms. I hugged him tightly to me. He felt feverish and hot.

"It's alright, buddy. I'll help you," I whispered. I channeled as much energy as I could conjure through my arms. A gentle light shone around us as I held him close to me. Hugo's eyes slid open. He looked up at me and I smiled, "Hey, Hugo."

"Hugo? Who's Hugo?" he asked sleepily.

"You are," I replied, setting him down and kneeling beside him.

Suddenly his eyes went wide, "No, my name is Val!"

"Sorry to break it to you, buddy, but that name's taken," I said, smiling and putting one hand on his head.

"What happened? Why am I…" Hugo's voice trailed off.

"You're free…from me," I said, standing up. I looked at Lucy and nodded, "Take care of him, alright?"

Lucy broke free from Natsu's arms, "Wait, where are you going?"

I shrugged, "Who knows?"

"You can't just leave, Val," she said desperately.

I turned away from her and looked over my shoulder, "I don't think I'm needed here, though." I looked to Natsu, "Keep her alive, alright?" He nodded firmly. Erza and Gray were silent. Gray nodded also and Erza smiled a little. I turned away from them, walking towards the morning light that streamed through the wide-open doors of the Thief Soul guildhall. When I took a step forward, something stopped me. I looked to my leg and saw that Hugo had taken hold of my boot. He was looking up at me, tears in his eyes, "_I _need you!"

That caught me off guard. I hesitated as Hugo wrapped his arms around my leg. He looked up at me desperately, "Don't leave me alone!"

I felt my heart surge. The child that I'd been practically killing for all these years, who I'd been bound to, wanted me to stay with him. I shook my head, "I can't stay with you. It'd be wrong."

"Wrong!?" Lucy shouted, taking a step forward, tears in her eyes, "_Leaving _would be wrong!" Natsu placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her down and stepped forward. He looked me in the eye, "I get it…but I think you should consider how he'll feel."

I looked down at Hugo and saw that he was crying. My heart wavered. Gray stepped forward and simply nodded in agreement. Erza spoke up, "I think you know what you should do." My gaze flitted between my friends. That's when my heart gave in. I slowly nodded. Hugo hiccupped one last time and then reached for me. I smiled and picked him up in my arms, "Hey, Kid."

"Hi," he sniffed. He snuggled into my chest and I couldn't help but smile. My friends were right. This was where I belonged. Maybe by helping Hugo, I'd be able to atone for all the horrible things I'd done in my life. I swore to myself that I'd stay with him…that I'd protect him. Hugo looked up and me, "Thanks for not leaving me." I nodded and patted his head, setting him down, "I think there's someone who wants to talk to you."

Hugo's eyes went wide and he nodded. He hesitantly detached himself from me and turned towards the others. He shakily took a few steps in his new body. He still wasn't used to it, I guess. He almost stumbled, but he caught himself. Lucy knelt down on the ground and stared at him. Hugo reached for her and she touched his small face.

"Lucy…it's me," he whispered shyly.

She smiled and laughed a little, "Yeah. I know." Hugo burst into tears again and leapt into her arms. Tears streamed down Lucy's face too as they hugged. "I was really worried," she choked, struggling to speak through her sobs. Natsu knelt down beside her and grinned, "Hey, shorty!"

"I'm not short!" Hugo insisted. He sounded angry but he still reached over and hugged Natsu. He whispered something in Natsu's ear, but I couldn't hear what it was. I narrowed my eyes.

* * *

><p><em>~Lucy~<em>

Hugo whispered something into Natsu's ear and his face turned bright red. Natsu pulled Hugo onto his lap and they exchanged a hushed conversation. I was only able to make out a two words: _perfect chance. _

I cocked my head to one side. _Perfect chance for what?_ Natsu took a deep breath and nodded, "You're right." He set Hugo down beside him and Hugo giggled. He ran back over to Val and wrapped his arms around Val's leg. Natsu got to his feet and offered me his hand. I took it and he pulled me to my feet. I dusted off my knees and then looked up at Natsu, "What were you two talking about?"

Natsu smiled, "You didn't know? Hugo is my advisor."

"Advisor for what?" I asked.

Natsu smiled mischievously, "This." With that he leaned down and took me in his arms. He pulled me close to him and crushed his lips against mine. I felt blood rush to my face as I stood there, rigid and stunned. Soon, though, I melted into his embrace. I relaxed in his arms and even circled my arms around his neck. To my surprise, I found myself kissing him back. He pulled away from me, leaving me wanting more. I had to admit, he was an impressive kisser.

"That was…" I said, my voice trailing off. I heard Gray whoop and clap. I looked over to the others and felt my face heat up even more. Erza was smiling knowingly and Gray was grinning widely. Hugo was giggling and nodding. Val was frowning and covering Hugo's eyes. "Ah," I squeaked. I looked up at Natsu and saw something I didn't expect. He was smiling softly and his eyes were gentle. He leaned down and whispered something in my ear, "I'm sort of in love with you."

My eyes went wide. L-L-Love?

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Don't worry, it isn't the last chapter! There'll be one final chapter after this one, so look forward to it! Please leave me a review if you liked it and keep an eye out for the final installment! OH! Don't worry...I haven't forgotten about Otto. We'll see him in the next chapter. Looking forward to their reunion? I am. **


	12. Change

_~Hugo~_

The room was really dark. Then again, the whole guild was dark. After being in Fairy Tail for so long, this place seemed really gloomy. It was also unnervingly quiet. I tiptoed through the long corridor that I'd found my way into. I suddenly stopped walking, catching sight of something. Val almost stepped on me…man, it was weird calling someone else my name. I was going to have to adjust to be called Hugo.

"Don't just stop walking like that!" Val protested quietly. I grabbed his pant leg to try and quiet him down. It worked for a moment before the rest of the group followed after him. Gray smacked into Val's back and Erza into Gray's. Natsu and Lucy were still back in the guildhall. I'd told them to stay, figuring that they'd rather talk for a little while instead of searching with me.

"Why'd you stop?" Gray asked, rubbing his nose, which had collided with Val's shoulder blade.

"Look," I whispered, pointing ahead of us. At the end of the corridor was a sinister looking door. It was slightly ajar and a little light streamed through the crack.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Erza asked, "Your friend could be behind that door."

I took a deep breath and then ran towards the door. I burst through it and whimpered. A cage sat in the corner of the musty room. I hesitantly walked towards it, reaching for the cloth that covered the cage. I glanced behind me and saw my friends waiting in the doorway. Val smiled, "Go on."

I nodded and took hold of the cloth. I counted to three in my head and ripped the cloth off. It fluttered to the ground and whimpered again. Curled up in the cage, fast asleep, was O. I slowly opened the cage, "O?"

His eyes cracked open and he squeaked. I felt puzzled and looked to Val. Val was frowning. "Val, I can't understand him anymore!" I cried desperately. Val knelt beside me, "Hey, I'm always here to help, right?" He reached forward and touched my forehead. A small golden light shone down on me and I waited. Val pulled away and stood up.

"Is that you, Val?" squeaked a voice. I turned to O and nodded, "A lot has happened. Actually, my name is Hugo."

Catching my by surprise, O rocketed towards me. He collided with my chest, knocking the wind out of me. I wrapped my arms tightly around him and he curled up close to me, "I knew you would come. I knew it!"

"I missed you, O," I sobbed. Tears fell down my face as we curled up together. I didn't care that the floor was damp and dirty. I didn't care that I was cold or that I was tired. I didn't care about anything other than the fact that I was finally with O again. I shakily stood up, O still in my arms, and smiled at Val. He patted my head, "Way to go, little bro."

I looked up at him and stared, "Little bro?"

"Just accept it," Val said, slinging me over his shoulder.

I giggled, "I've never had a brother before!"

"Well, now you do. Let's go see if Lucy and Natsu are done with…whatever the hell they're doing."

"Ok!" I said happily.

"Who are Lucy and Natsu? Who are those people?" O asked.

"This is Val. That is Gray and that is Erza," I said, pointing to my respective friends. They smiled and waved.

"You can understand him?" Erza asked.

I nodded, "Thanks to Val!"

"Hey, you call me 'big brother' ok?" Val said as we walked down the hallway. As he passed by Gray and Erza he tapped their foreheads and they blinked.

"Nice to meet you!" O said, raising his paw.

Gray blinked, "It speaks English…"

"So it does," Erza said, smiling and taking O's paw in between two of her fingers. She shook it delicately and nodded, "It's an honor to finally make the acquaintance of Hugo's beloved friend."

"Yeah…same here," Gray said, taking O's paw. He looked a little creeped out to be talking to a flying squirrel.

"O, I can't wait for you to meet Lucy. She's my really, really close friend," I said, smiling.

"Psh," O mumbled.

"Don't be jealous. You'll always be my favorite," I said, patting his head. He nuzzled into my hand and I smiled. When we got to the guildhall, Val set me down on the floor. I walked up to Lucy and pulled on her skirt, "Lucy, meet O."

She knelt down beside me and smiled softly.

"Hello!" O said loudly, raising his paw to wave at her.

"Um…nice to meet you," she said, raising an eyebrow.

I turned around, "Big brother?" Val nodded and touched Lucy's forehead. Natsu stared wide-eyed at what was happening until Val also touched his forehead. He flinched and smacked Val's hand away. Val chuckled a little.

"My name's O. I hear that you've been taking care of Va-Hugo. Thank you," O said, nodding his head.

Lucy stared for a few seconds, a little shocked, "You're…welcome?"

"Whoa! The rat is talking!" Natsu shouted. Lucy elbowed him in the stomach and he doubled over, "Ow…what was that for?"

"One: he's _clearly _a squirrel, not a rat. Two: you were being impolite!" Lucy chastised. Natsu nodded, rising to his full height but still clutching his stomach.

"Sorry," he said quietly. Lucy smiled and nudged him in the arm gently, "You're forgiven."

"Are you two in love?" I asked. O clapped a paw over my mouth and I shot him a questioning look. Had I said something wrong?

Lucy's face turned red, "Uh…um…well…"

Natsu draped an arm over her shoulders, "Yeah, I love her. You already knew that, though. Lucy said, 'Really? Ok.'"

Lucy punched him in the arm and Natsu smiled, "You just made it sound like I'm a—"

"Aw…no I didn't. You know I love you," Natsu cooed. I grimaced. _Gross. _

"All too well!" Lucy practically shouted. She tried to punch him again, but he caught her fist.

"Sorry, sorry," he said, "I'm just messing with you." Lucy crossed her arms over her chest. I turned to Val, "I want to go home."

Val grinned, "Home?"

"Fairy Tail," I restated as if it were obvious. Val grinned and scooped me up. I curled up in his arms.

"Alright, let's go home, then," Val whispered, turning to walk out the door.

"Hey, wait up!" Gray called. The others caught up with us almost immediately.

"So, are you going to poke every member of Fairy Tail's forehead?" Lucy asked.

"If that's what Hugo wants, then yes," Val replied.

"I want everyone to meet O," I said, nodding.

"Alright, then," Val said, "It'll be a forehead-poking party."

I laughed, "Thanks."

"Mm…I can't wait for food. I'm hungry," Natsu said, patting his stomach.

I smiled, "But you're always hungry!"

Everyone laughed, including Natsu. "That's only completely true!" Natsu replied. We stepped out into the sunlight and my mouth dropped. Standing outside the hall was the entirety of the Thief Soul guild. Val sighed, "I forgot about them."

"Where's the Mistress?" someone shouted. It was a man who had dark skin and red eyes.

"She's gone," Val said, setting me down. I clung to his leg, not wanting him to go anywhere.

"What? No one can kill Ambrosia!" someone else shouted. There was a chorus of yells in consent.

"I did," Val said, his voice sobering and steady. There was a moment of silence.

A woman stepped forward. She was half skin and half metal. I stared at her, a little intimidated by her glowing robotic eye. She stared Val in the eye and I watched closely. My mouth dropped as she dropped to one knee. She bowed her head in respect, "Thank you."

"What!?" Natsu shouted.

"Ambrosia was suffering. She was my friend. I'm glad that suffering is over," she said, looking up at Val. The shock on Val's face soon faded away. He smiled slightly and nodded in return. One by one, every member of Thief Soul bowed down to Val. I hugged his leg tighter, "I think they like you."

Val laughed and patted my head, "I guess so, huh?"

* * *

><p><strong>Years Later<strong>

_~Hugo~_

"Yeah, well I'm not little anymore," I mumbled.

"But he's your big brother. He worries about you just like any big brother would and should," Wendy said. I looked to where she sat beside me and nodded.

"I guess you're right," I said, sighing.

"You know that I'm _always _right," she said proudly. She leaned close and whispered in my ear, "You should be nicer to Val. He's just worrying about you." I felt my face heat up at her proximity.

She pulled away and smiled, "I'm going to go and get something from Mira. You want anything?"

I shook my head, trying to hide my blush. She walked away, leaving my face bright red and my nerves shaken. I'd had a crush on Wendy ever since she joined the guild. She didn't know, of course.

"I saw that," said a voice to my left. I flinched and practically fell off of the table I was sitting on.

Natsu grinned, "You like Wendy, don't you?"

I shook my head, "No!"

"Hey! Remember all that time ago when you were my advisor? Does this mean it's finally my turn?" Natsu asked excitedly.

Lucy smacked him over the head, "Don't be so pushy, Natsu. Hey, Hugo. When is Val dropping by again?"

"He told me he was coming today," I said.

"Actually, he said he was coming an hour ago," Otto added. I shrugged, "You know him. He isn't exactly the perfect example of timeliness."

"That's an under exaggeration," Otto mumbled, munching on a piece of cheese I'd given him.

I laughed, "Pretty much, yeah."

* * *

><p><em>~Valaymier~<em>

The way to Fairy Tail was pretty far. Granted, flying _did _make it easier. I'd landed on the streets of Magnolia and a few people gave me weird looks. I just ignored them. I wished that Yin Yang was closer, but it wasn't like I could just pick up the guildhall and move it closer just so that I could keep a closer eye over my little brother. He was sixteen now. I figured he could take care of himself. That didn't mean that I wouldn't still worry about him.

You may ask what Yin Yang is. It's my guild. Yeah, I'm the master. It used to be Thief Soul, but somehow I got looped into becoming the new Guild Master by Alex. I nicknamed Alex 'Metalhead' because the entire left side of her body was made of metal. She hated when I called her that. How'd it end up being called Yin Yang? I didn't name it. Believe me, if I _had _it wouldn't be called Yin Yang. The members wanted to show that they'd turned over a new leaf. I guess something about the balance between light and dark associated with the Yin Yang made for the perfect guild name. I didn't really care.

I walked down the streets, my hands in my pockets. I breathed in the scent of a flower shop that I was walking past. I closed my eyes, letting the scent gently wrap around me. I was jerked out of my trance when I slammed into something.

My eyes snapped open and I reacted immediately. I caught the flowerpot that was plummeting towards its certain demise. Right before it smashed into tiny pieces, I saved it.

"I am _so _sorry, sir," said a frantic voice. I straightened up and set the flowerpot down on the table next to the other pots.

"It's alright. It was my fault anyway," I said, looking towards the person who I'd walked into. She was pretty short and had long, frizzy, red hair. Freckled were scattered all over her nose and cheeks. She had brilliant green eyes. She was wearing dirt-covered jeans and work gloves.

"Do you work here?" I asked.

She nodded, "Yeah. I only just started, though."

"Really? That explains why I've never seen you before," I said, nodding. I smiled at her and noticed her cheeks turn a little pink.

"Y-You're very h-handsome," she stuttered and then clapped a gloved hand over her mouth. Her eyes went wide and her face turned bright red.

I grinned, "Thank you."

She frantically looked around, trying to find something to change the subject with. She was pretty cute, but also really scatterbrained. Sudden realization struck me at I realized that I had to get to Fairy Tail. Hugo would get mad at me if I were to be late again.

"Hey, do you think I could buy some flowers?" I asked. I figured I could bring some flowers for the guild. They'd probably appreciate it.

"Oh, sure. No problem. Which ones?" she asked. I pointed to some random flowers, not really caring which ones. She picked them up and frowned.

"They're wilted on this side. Hang on," she said. She furrowed her brow in concentration and touched the wilted flowers. They immediately sprung to life, their brilliant yellow color returning.

"You're a wizard?" I asked.

She nodded, "Only a little." I laughed and she blushed, handing over the flowers. I paid for them and turned to leave. "Hey, what's your name?" I asked.

"Celeste," she replied. I nodded, "I'm Val."

"Hey, you should stop by more often, Val. Buy some more flowers, or something," she said, fidgeting a bit.

I grinned, "Definitely."

As I walked away, staring at my newly purchased flowers and thinking about how strange Celeste had been, I remembered something that I didn't expect to remember.

Years ago, Lucy had said something to me: With love comes understanding and happiness. Sometimes it can bring pain and hate, but love changes people. If you can't love anyone, you won't ever get the chance to experience that change.

I smiled. Change didn't sound that bad.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: The end. Thanks for reading all the way to the end! Don't forget to leave me a review!**


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